Only You Can Hear My Heartbeat Quicken
by Clear Blue Crystal
Summary: Lee Sin encounters an exotic blue haired mute one day on the Fields of Justice. Intrigued by her timid nature, her reason for joining such violence, and her gift of telepathy, the blind monk seeks her out and finds something much greater than either of them could have foreseen. However, what effect will it have on Lee Sin's closest friend, Riven? (Rated M for Violence and Lemons)
1. Chapter 1

The summoner and the summoned battle as one. A magical tether binds both parties to a contract of cooperation; the champion fights for the summoner's honor, the summoner aids them with critical information and tide turning spells. A level of trust is required from both sides in order for the system to perform with the fewest errors.

The monk's balanced steps propelled him through the dense forest at great haste. His muscles flexed and released freely, the cool breeze of the shadowed terrain felt refreshing on his face an shirtless body, everything was going just right. Many monsters had already been encountered and subsequently felled. Intangible currency was awarded to his summoner for later use. His goal now was to engage the real enemy, the other champions vying for the purple team's victory had to be defeated.

A voice resonating with a familiar magical twinge called out from within the fighter's mind_ "The northernmost defenses are in dire need of assistance, Lee Sin. I fear our ally, Riven, cannot hold out much longer."_

The steps hastened further.

Lee Sin dug his right foot into the cool soil and shifted his momentum to the left. His sprint continued whilst dodging trees and vaulting rocks. Gnarled roots from the most ancient of timber reached out and greedily buried themselves all around the trunks. The ground became more and more uneven, the dirt more and more dark with moisture. Lee Sin brushed past large leafy bushes signature to the rapidly changing terrain. The monk halted as soon as his step splashes into a thin body of water.

The scent of refreshing hydration filled his nose along with the recognition of wet dirt and flora. Lee Sin took a couple more steps out, the water level never clearing half the height of his leather shoes. Sounds of explosive magic and slicing metal echoed far beyond the river to his immediate right. The monk turned his head and listened.

"The electric monolith, how is he faring?" he inquired to what seemed like no one at all.

_"Xerath is holding his own. After his previous death to Zed I asked his summoner to execute more defensive tactics. He obliged, and the battle remains at a standstill in the middle of the sundered lane." _The voice communicated effortlessly with Lee Sin through a telepathic channel only the two of them shared.

Lee Sin nodded and turned the opposite direction, down where the calm waters led into a rocky outcropping before continuing onward. His set his mark on the long straightaway and kicked off into a healthy pace. As he moved the warrior matched the calm flow of the river in the motions of his arms before him. The left calmly motioned out in front, palm up, while his right arm arched back with a raised elbow, palm down. Every few steps he breathed in through his nose, slow and steady, then exhaled calmly through his lips. The motions of his arms swapped roles. Lee Sin was focused with his mind sharp, for combat would occur soon.

* * *

Riven exhaled a shaky breath from her kneeling position. Her shattered blade pierced the dry earth before her allowing some support. With her free left hand she hugged her torso tightly, wincing from the pain. No blood poured from any of the wounds she'd sustained, all of the pain was underneath her exterior. Her bones ached and her muscles blazed with exhaustion.

"I... I need to retreat... I cannot fight for much longer," she begged to her empty surroundings.

A female voice chimed from within her head, _"No! Not yet! We need just a little more gold, I'll be able to unlock a great deal of your power to use! Please, Riven, rise and fight for just a little longer."_

The exile sighed and gritted her teeth. Her eyes shut tight as she pushed off with the hilt of her weapon to return to her feet grunting and yelping all the way from her protesting wounds. Riven drew another breath while clutching her abdomen tightly.

Just then, the sound of marching rhythmically pounded just a little ways behind her. Riven turned and looked up towards the massive stone tower, a depiction of a warrior with a great shield and a glowing weapon. Beyond that was a troupe of magical sprites garbed in tattered blue cloaks wielding spiked mallets and staves with blue gems. The sight of reinforcements was a relief. The magical creatures would aid her in attacking the purple team's forces. She decided to follow alongside the leading minion whose height barely reached her thigh.

The brief moment of reprieve allowed Riven to collect herself. The red potion her summoner had offered from before had taken full effect now, the pain lessened but was by no means gone. Her hand subconsciously dropped from her torso as she walked along assessing her surroundings.

The sun shone warmly overhead but a very slight breeze kept the temperature from becoming anything more or less than comfortable. Her surroundings were quiet other than the pitter patter of her minions but it was far from calming. Riven's eyes darted back and forth the further she and her troupe advanced. The champion that had nearly slain her before her last retreat lurked nearby, her warrior's instinct refused to rest. The rocky hills covering the right side of the path she tread soon gave out into thick, tall grass and monstrous trees, The light dimmed immediately just down the path and the dry dirt saturated more and more until it gave way into a very shallow body of water teeming with life and peppered with long leafed plants.

"_The river is safe, no enemies are nearby. It looks like our ally Lee Sin is even coming to assist you. Kill some of the purple forces before he gets here and then you can return to base while he covers your position." _Riven nodded, accepting the voice's tactical command with heavy reluctance. The mention of Lee Sin let her breathe a little easier however.

A line of purple minions rounded the corner opposite of the one she had just passed. The exile brandished her blade in front of her and took several steadying breaths. Riven channeled a warrior's trance, doing her best to forget about the pain she felt, and instead focus on her summoner's wishes. Trust was required and she couldn't be labeled a coward.

At the sight of each other, the both groups of minions fell into a frenzy. Those wielding crude weapons used for bashing or slicing dashed forward and immediately began pummeling each other. Those with staves rushed forward as well and begun channeling respectively colored bolts of energy to blast one another from a distance.

Ignoring the ominous mouth of the river, Riven advanced and caught up to the magical sprites. Taking one last look at her surroundings, she confirmed her temporary safety and waded through the small scale war. A minion robed in bright purple raised its barbed weapon to her. Uncaring for the threat, Riven brought her half-blade up to her right and swung it diagonally upwards to the left. The clash was completely one-sided in force, the minion's arm nearly popped out of socket from being smacked away so forcefully. Still hardly exerting any sort of energy, Riven raised her weapon with both hands on the hilt and jammed it downward into the creature. It's death was quick, the weapon's recovery quicker. Riven couldn't see it but knew that her summoner's gold reserves had been increased.

Two purple melee minions remained as well as two casters. Riven stepped to the closest sword wielding creature who was so focused on battling the blue hammer minion that it didn't even seem to recognize the champion before it. Riven slashed downward with her sword, the large gash in the minion's small frame ended its artificial life quickly. Riven spun backward to the last and brought her weapon down in a stabbing motion. The two casters remained.

The first fell to Riven's bladed edge with yet another effortless swing. By now however she was feeling alarmed. An icy chill shot up the back of her spine until it reached the nape of her neck. She glanced about but saw nothing particularly alarming. Riven turned back just in time to see her minions overwhelm and destroy the last of the purple force. They advanced mindlessly on a journey to their deaths in an attempt to destroy the powerful purple tower in the distance. Riven's feet refused to follow.

"I have to go back. The minions are slain."

_"A fine job you did too, though you shouldn't have missed that last one," _the female voice chided. _"Keep going. The next wave of reinforcements will arrive soon which means more gold for us!"_

"Summoner, if I keep going, I'll—"

_"Don't be a coward! We need the gold! I can make you so much more powerful if you just listen to me!"_

Riven's grip on her sword tightened considerably. Her brow furrowed and her teeth dug into each other tightly. She was no coward but she wasn't about to talk back to her partner either. Onwards she continued, but only for a few steps. The sight before her made her wounds cry out in agony as they remembered how they were formed.

Wukong the Monkey King dashed into the blue minions with a whooping battle cry and a metal staff held out before him. Clouds encircled half of his body and two more images of himself struck out to the side as he came into contact with the fodder army. All three of the melee minions died instantly, crushed under painful swings of the metal staves both real and illusion. Wukong flipped forward in mid air and slammed his weapon into one of the caster minions, shattering its poor form and leaving it in a pile of reddened cloth and broken bone. The last one frantically summoned its magic and fired it at Wukong. The blasts did nothing as the monkey king simply laughed that playful, layered laugh as he caught sight of Riven.

"You're still here, exile! I figured you'd have run off to your allies after our last sparring." He jammed the metal pole into the ground beside him and cracked his knuckles one by one with the opposite palm. The blue minion near his legs kept on summoning and firing blue bolts of magic though it was certainly in vain, its target didn't even seem to notice.

Riven steadied herself and fluidly swung her shattered blade in a backhanded motion ending in its previous position to get a feel for its weight once again. She gave no response and instead opted for a fighting stance hoping her wounds weren't too apparent.

"Ohohoho! Come now, Riven! No hard feelings! No one could have expected you to claim victory over myself." Wukong went into another series of his iconic animalistic laughs before retrieving his staff and lifting the nearby minion by the pointed hat atop its head. Rather than the headwear coming off, the minion was lifted straight into the air and was forced to hang while struggling for its life. The egotistical combatant flipped the poor creature into the air and brought up his staff to swing like a bat. Once it came into his strike zone, Wukong swung the flexible metal pole with great force to crash into the creature. Unable to change its fate, the minion barreled through the air toward Riven who dodged it by stepping to the side. Its broken form skid, jumped, and crashed into the dirt reducing it to an almost unrecognizable pile of gore, torn clothing, and splintered armor. Wukong advanced slowly toward the exile.

"Now that you're here again, it must mean that you wish to challenge me once more. There will be no retreating this time, exile, hohoho! Come, die with what little honor you have left, coward!" the monkey king whooped. He leapt into the air, far higher than any normal person's ability, and brought his staff downward in an arc to split Riven's skull.

The female warrior would not allow such an audacious strike to connect.

Riven stepped away and spun to her left to dodge the descending staff with ample room to spare. Immediately she went onto the offensive whipping her blade around into a slanted strike beginning from just above her right shoulder. Wukong was far too fast to allow the attack to succeed, instead Riven's steel met the surprisingly resilient back end of his pole. The staff wielder pressed the parry into her so that they were just inches from each other. He flashed a wide, white toothed smile and broke out into laughter.

Riven had had enough of the gloating. She pushed with all her might and shoved the monkey off giving her a little room to formulate her next move. The broken blade she held extended down toward her right flank began glowing a bright emerald green. With a forceful battle cry Riven rushed forward and spun a full half circle backward into a strike with all her might, again the result was clanging metal. She advanced once again after seeing that her opponent had reeled back a bit from the power of her attack. The follow-up was a mirror of the first swing, only reversed. Yet again Wukong managed to block, though his wielding arm had been thrown out wide. Her sword glowing brighter than ever before with an ancient magic, Riven leapt into the air and came crashing down with an impressive roar. The monkey king's vision was hampered by the blazing green causing him to miscalculate the arc of Riven's swing. He winced as he was forced backward. Rather than losing balance, Wukong used the momentum to jump backward onto his hands and complete the vault to land on his feet.

Red hot blood began streaming from Wukong's weapon arm up near the shoulder. He looked at the wound and chuckled until it escalated into full on laughter with his head thrown back. After ramping down his excitement, Wukong faced Riven again with an even wider smile than before.

"Very good, exile, very good! I didn't even see that one coming!" He tried to stifle a laugh, then brought up his free hand before his face. After a charming snort he spit into his fingers and rubbed the goo onto the wound. "Hohohohahaaa! Hardly a scoring blow! I don't even feel it!" Suddenly, a red boxy vial appeared in the air before him. Wukong snatched it up, popped the cork with his thumb, and washed it down his throat. Finishing it with a sigh he conclusively tossed the vial over his shoulder where it shattered and subsequently disappeared upon colliding with the ground.

"Now then, where were we?"

Laughing all the while, Wukong brought his staff before him and spun it with blinding speed. He displayed a breathtaking control over the weapon by continuing the revolutions in all directions, even a few times behind himself. He jumped and spun the staff underneath as he completed a front flip landing exactly where he began. The staff ended its display in his grasp pressed against his back, Wukong's right hand holding it down toward the ground as the rest of its length peeked over his left shoulder. His left hand extended toward Riven as a challenge. The white smile plastered on his face was intensified by his showing off.

Riven spat the air behind her teeth with her tongue trying to appear unimpressed. However, despite being so frustrated by the monkey kings childish and unwarriorlike personality, it was impossible to denounce the skill he wielded. Her opponent was easily one of the most difficult she'd ever faced.

Wukong made the first move.

Swirling clouds of deception began forming around the monkey king's armored waistcoat. He held his staff in front of him and channeled the power from within until it reached its apex within seconds. Again he shot out with blinding speed aiming the tip of his pole straight for Riven's diaphragm. She hardly had time to react, much less come up with a response. Two mirror images of the king covered his flank aiming their weapons to both sides which cut off all possibility of simply rolling or sidestepping. Outrunning the barrage was out of the question.

Riven braced herself and closed her eyes tightly. She threw defense to the gutter knowing full well that Wukong's advance was nigh unblockable. Her sword raised directly above her head aiming for the sky, Riven loosed a warcry summoning the forest green energies from the broken runic blade once again, this time fanning out all around her with offensive gusto. Her response was carried out flawlessly, though so was Wukong's strike.

Riven collapsed to her knees in an instant, her abdominal cavity on fire. Breath refused to relieve her burning lungs, the muscle responsible for the simple act of breathing utterly paralyzed. Her teeth ground into each other as involuntary tears beaded up in the corners of her eyes. Panic crept at the edge of her mind but the warrior's trance stomped it into nothingness.

The smallest blessing of air managed to slip down her throat as her diaphragm frantically worked to return to working condition. It was enough. Riven jammed the edge of her blade into the ground and forced herself to her feet. She had almost forgotten about the monkey king and was surprised to see his status. Wukong was frozen stiff, surrounded by the ancient power her blade summoned forth. Just as she drew a slight breath to prepare a lunge with her sword, Wukong began moving once more, though slowly due to the waning magic that held him. His arm wielding the staff lifted it above in what seemed like slow motion. The powerful muscles in his legs contracted and positioned his feet for a counterattack.

Riven couldn't let this moment go to waste.

The exile gathered all the strength she had left and pushed forward with her weapon leading the charge. The jagged edge where the metal had once been whole easily sliced into the monkey king's chest and out through his back. Riven, in the middle of a mighty conclusive battle cry stemming from a single arduous breath, continued several steps with the momentum keeping her head down and pushing as hard as she could. When the force died out, she stopped and took several ragged breaths still tightly grasping the weapon she had impaled Wukong with.

Riven opened her eyes to see bright red rivers of blood pouring from the edges of where her uneven and thick metal shard pierced her opponent. A smile formed among her dry lips and her breathing regained a little bit more fluidity. She looked up to meet the slain king eye to eye.

Wukong merely smiled a humble smile, one that seemed to accept the defeat. Riven had defeated him in an unfair fight where she was at a massive disadvantage. Wukong said nothing for several long seconds, only stared into Riven's fiery eyes. At last his lips parted, then grew into a brilliant smile. He chuckled, snorted, and then exploded into an uproarious fit of gut-splitting laughter. With each convulsion the streams of his own blood flowed forth faster and stronger.

Suddenly, he leaned forward just inches from Riven's face, the laughter abruptly ceased. His eyes burned holes into Riven's own and she felt the panic return. His words dissolved the warrior's trance.

"Not quite, exile."

A loud, metallic clang overtook Riven's entire world just then. Her vision went hazy and her muscles weak. She lost hold of the runic blade and had just enough coherence to look down and realize Wukong's weapon had never even been raised. Just then, his entire form disappeared into a passive explosion made up of the same clouds he summoned from before. Wukong was gone.

Another resounding metal vibration echoed through Riven's mind. This time a sharp pain exploded in her lower back. Her only response was a pained grunt before falling onto her knees. The world spun. The once flat terrain deviated from its usual axis turning every which way in Riven's vision. She hadn't the strength nor drive to make any sort of movement. She drew in a ragged breath and stared forward as if her very soul had left her body.

The back of her head burned right before her neck was forced to look up and to the right. Riven could barely make out Wukong's face, this time he was not smiling. In fact it was the first time she'd seen him frown. The monkey king's words came through hazy as if she were underwater trying to listen to his voice.

"No one can defeat me. Do you hear me? You're nothing but a cowardly weakling despised by the world. Not even your own homeland wanted you, that's why you were exiled, right? Pathetic. Challenging me was an insult."

Riven felt the handful of her hair release. Directly after that another splitting pain erupted across her upper back which sent her to the dirt in an instant. Again the sound of metal forcefully contacting bone reverberated throughout the area even a few seconds after the strike had occurred. Barely conscious, Riven viewed the world from on her stomach looking down toward the river entrance. By now it just seemed like a big black orb in the center of shifting lighter colors.

"Cowardly..." she managed to think.

An up close view of Wukong's boot came into sight. She heard him raise the metal rod and utter a conclusive, satisfied grunt. The rush of air from the pole's descent seemed to last forever until a suffocating darkness took over completely.

_"Riven... I'm... I'm so sorry."_


	2. Chapter 2

_"We're too late... Riven was slain,"_ echoed Lee Sin's summoner within the depths of his mind. The monk exited the mouth of the river just in time to see Wukong wiping the bloodied end of his staff on his cuff guard. The monkey king turned and faced Lee Sin to size him up before giving any more reaction than faint involuntary surprise. Just as he did, Lee Sin watched as Riven's beaten form was bathed in a bright light until her entire body glowed with a powerful white radiance that would have forced him to look away if he had been seeing with normal vision. A second later the light ended leaving no trace of the exiled warrior.

"What are you looking at, monk? You're blind, ohahaha!" Wukong taunted. Lee Sin shifted his blindfolded gaze towards the king and tensed his muscles. He could feel the fear behind Wukong's facade.

_"How could I be too late?" _he thought to himself as well as the summoner guiding him, _"I responded right as you told me to."_ The monk took a deep breath and planted his left foot hard into the dirt before him. _"I promise I'll avenge you, Riven."_

_"Wukong is hurt. He's trying not to show it," _the summoner added. The monkey king shifted his stance and flipped his weapon around in hand a couple times before ending the maneuver with it positioned at his back in preparation for combat.

_"His arm is bleeding, more so due to his increasing blood pressure. He fears me... just as well."_

Lee Sin's summoner remained silent to allow him the sanctity of a cleared mind. He took in a deep breath hardly paying attention to Wukong's following taunt.

"What's the matter, cripple? Hurry up and fight me! I almost feel bad for the one sided fight, but I'm sure-"

Lee Sin stepped forward with his back leg to face sidelong opposite the direction his body previously contoured. With a focused, vocalized exhale, Lee Sin shot out his right hand in the motion with extended thumb and forefinger. A wave of resonating sonic energy blasted through the air disrupting Wukong's vision of the monk completely for a split second. He couldn't even finish what he was saying before the force collided, stole the words straight from his mouth, and made him take several steps back.

Wukong's defenses were lowered just long enough for the monk's signature follow-up. His enemy targeted with foolproof accuracy, Lee Sin pushed off with all of his force in a round house motion leading with his right foot. The extreme power fed off of Lee Sin's inner fire with enough strength to carry him all the way to his opponent in mid-air.

The king recovered just in time to hear Lee Sin's battle cry before the blind warrior's booted foot found a solid connection with his chest. The momentum between the two bodies swapped instantly. Lee Sin landed on his feet in Wukong's place while the injured one lost hold of his staff and was sent barreling backward. He landed with a lengthy skid and several rolls before stopping completely face down in the chalky dirt. More angry than anything, Lee Sin's target immediately rose to his knees and faced the approaching monk with a snarl.

"I wasn't ready you blind bastard," Wukong spat while wiping a bit of blood from his lip.

Lee Sin calmly approached the kneeling combatant and readied his foot for a finishing blow by bringing it up above his waist ready to crash down on the monkey's head. The attack was thwarted however, Lee Sin should have anticipated the retaliation considering Wukong hadn't made the effort of recovering his stance. Before the typhlotic one could react, the flexible metal pole Wukong fought with shot out from under his legs and struck Lee Sin's raised ankle. The monk lost his balance, a rare thing indeed, and landed on his back with a harsh exhale.

Wukong would not relent with this opportunity. Grabbing his weapon once more and gripping it tightly, he leapt into the air while ignoring the pain his body complained of and shot the end of the staff forward in a spearhead attack aimed for Lee Sin's chest. The staff found only dirt.

Lee Sin had rolled to his right to dodge the crushing blow. As a follow-up he quickly brought his knees towards his chest, coiling his muscles tightly, and released the energy using the disciplined kinetics to land back on his feet in a single maneuver. The martial artist was not finished there. Going right back onto the offensive, Lee Sin threw himself in a backwards spin with his right leg extended level with Wukong's chest. The kick connected flawlessly though this time the force was much less than the previous.

Wukong was forced to step back once more swearing under his breath. He stood unmoving, weighing his options while glaring Lee Sin down as the monk returned to a solid stance showing no signs of injury. He then realized that waiting around would only earn him another heel in his ribcage. He would have to fight offensively, but carefully. The king took a steady breath to focus his mind while remembering various quotes from the one who tutored him in the ways of combat.

Lee Sin's lips curled into a knowing smile. He could tell Wukong was trying to center himself but he knew the monkey king was much too inexperienced for that. Childish and hotheaded, Wukong wouldn't be able to change in the middle of a battle. Not to mention that his whole change of tactics stemmed from fear and one could not have a balanced mind when apprehension clouded your psyche. The futility of Wukong's actions gave Lee Sin the confirmation of his victory.

The first strike was given to the king out of curiosity for what he would attempt, or maybe it was simply pity. Wukong needed to be humbled.

The monkey king began with a fluid strike from his upper right. Lee Sin sensed the move with his second sight and parried by redirecting the momentum using his right forearm. Wukong quickly pulled back having not fully committed to the attack and went for a thrust parallel to the ground and level with his stomach. His target was unharmed yet again after spinning so that the staff rolled off his abdomen. Wukong didn't even see the backhanded fist coming from Lee Sin's completed revolution. The king's vision went blurry as he stumbled off to his right. Before he could even catch his footing he felt another jarring kick to his lower back which put him face down in the dust once more.

Lee Sin didn't let his target recover this time. Just as Wukong moved to rise to his knees the monk placed his left foot in the center of the king's back and forced him back into the dirt.

"Have you forgotten what Master Yi has taught you countless times? Or is your ego truly larger than your mind, Wukong?" Lee Sin calmly accused.

Before the king could turn his head and respond with more haughty words, the ascetic warrior inhaled sharply, brought his vertical right hand in toward his chest, and swiftly rushed the charged appendage straight down to the center of Wukong's back after having removed his foot. The resulting strike sent out a shockwave of tangible crimson energy in all directions. Wukong cried out in pain with what little air he had left before it was cut short.

Lee Sin stepped back and let his hands hang down to his sides. His enemy's body remained unmoving, but Wukong was not dead. The weaponless warrior could still sense a heartbeat. No, it was two heartbeats, and both of them were in perfect sync with each other. The monk blew a hard breath through his nose and smirked. He turned to face towards the enemy lane. Not far from the unmoving Wukong was a second monkey king. This one was crawling, hurriedly too, and transparent to the average vision.

_"Invisibility,"_ he thought. _"He's going to try and run away. Oh how Riven will love to hear about this."_

Lee Sin started off in a casual walking pace toward the real Wukong. Not even bothering to turn and see him, the monk's opponent scrambled to his feet and hobbled off in great haste while clutching his abdomen in pain. His other hand loosely carried the monkey king's legendary staff in a sad attempt to keep it from dragging through the dirt and scraping away its dignity.

Wukong still didn't notice his doom following close behind. He was running out of time with his deception but the sanctity of his tall purple gemmed tower was now in sight. His lips curled upward in satisfaction with the close escape. The invisibility began to fade, but it didn't matter, he was home free. And then the fallen king felt a hand on his shoulder.

He stopped all movement. The monkey king dropped his staff, closed his eyes, and sighed as the cloak of deception ended. Wincing, he stood straight up and prepared to accept defeat.

"Fine. You got me."

Lee Sin responded in kind, "Give Master Yi my regards."

Lee Sin steeled his muscles and took in a short breath. His final strike happened in a flash. The warrior exerted a similar energy from before now emanating from his entire body with its fiery hue. His left boot slid out behind him leaving a small trail of flames in its wake before Lee Sin jumped up and delivered a powerful 360° kick fueled by the unbridled rage of a dragon. The clear victor of the engagement landed with cat's feet and slowly turned to take his leave.

Behind the blind monk, Wukong's body was sent flying through the air headfirst in a spiraling motion like an expertly loosed arrow. The king met his end when he collided with the cold hard stone of the tower he was tasked with protecting. The foundation of the great monolith shook and growled in protest as its base structure was disturbed. Pieces cracked and fell away until the entire tower shifted and leaned into the lane. With a roaring protest, the turret doubled over the section where it had been hit and met its demise by shattering into hundreds of pieces on the dusty lane after an exaggerated descent.

* * *

_"The tower was destroyed as well,"_ echoed the voice in Lee Sin's mind clearly amazed.

"Yes it was," Lee Sin responded aloud as he pushed his way into a thicket of tall grass. "That was my goal."

_"You planned all of that!?"_

"Riven deserved vengeance. I made sure of that, and one way or another the tower was going to fall by my hand." The tall grass hardly bothered Lee Sin as he stepped through the thickest part of it. Eventually it gave out into a clearing that hardly affected the jungler's view of the world. Again, the sun was nowhere to be found. Massive gnarled trees stretching higher than one's ability to see the top populated the dense forest once more. The grass was wet with an eternal dew gifted from the excess glistening moisture the large timber gathered and then delivered to the coniferous flooring.

Lee Sin sucked in the refreshing air and started off into a casual jogging pace headed deeper into enemy territory. The broken terrain felt much more familiar to him than the wide open lanes. He ran up a slanted hill and stopped at the trunk of a massive tree. From there the hill gave into a steep drop several feet down. Lee Sin's legs easily absorbed the shock from the landing after advancing the quickest way down: jumping.

_"I should summon you more often,"_ mused the summoner.

Lee Sin smirked.

Further the blind monk tread deeper into the lively forest. Shifting his direction slightly south, the woodsman dodged and dipped through a mess of low hanging protrusions from several cluttered trees with great trunks that could fit the length of several men standing at arm's length.

_"Stop! ...Wait,"_ the voice resounded suddenly. Lee Sin came to an immediate halt near a tree only twice his width. Behind it was another rocky cliff face that looked like it hadn't been disturbed in decades with the amount of moss and growth invading its crevices.

Lee Sin drooped his head to the side listening, waiting. "...What is it?" he whispered, "...I sense nothing nearby. Not even a heartbeat."

_"...It doesn't have a heartbeat."_

The monk furrowed his brow in confusion behind the red wraps around his eyes. _"What doesn't have a heartbeat?" _he pondered briefly. Lee Sin's musings were interrupted by an earth quaking rumble that shook the surrounding trees. Perhaps he would have even been thrown off balance were it not for his expertly trained physique and stance.

Away from the tree he stepped looking in all directions trying to pinpoint the origin of the rumbling. Only a few steps out, the trunk he had rested by moments earlier suddenly exploded into thousands of shards that rained down on the monks exposed skin. The splinters hardly pierced his skin but Lee Sin shielded himself anyway with his forearms. He couldn't stay put for long. The half of the tree, more like everything from a few feet from the trunk and up, came crashing straight down in a slow, groaning descent. Deftly he dove to the side and used the subsequent force of the fallen timber crashing into the forest floor to springboard into a taught front flip before landing on his feet nearby. Lee Sin turned back toward the splintered trunk to face his next enemy.

The cliff face behind the tree wasn't a piece of the terrain at all, though it looked the part. The bulk of the rocky mass grumbled and groaned with age old earthen tremors as it rose even higher into the dusky air supported by a pair of wide leg-like formations underneath. Similar appendages extended from either side and formed into arms, hands, and even a few digits, all of them made from the same mossy stone. In the center of its entire hulking form sat a pulsating blue crystal, the locus of its power that kept the construct together.

Lee Sin bumped his eyebrows and gave a short hum. "The golems seem to get bigger with each passing battle inside the Rift."

Golems are slow, much slower than master martial artists. The obvious truth was subsequently demonstrated as Lee Sin dashed off toward the monster leaving only a dug in footprint behind. Rocks shuttered and dirt poured from the hulking golem as it turned slightly to face its attacker. Lee Sin leapt onto the previously destroyed tree and pushed off the soft timber to propel himself straight toward the construct with his fist coiled parallel to his shoulder and ready to deliver a powerful blow.

The pile of stone could do little else other than complete a step backward to defend its core. Lee Sin's advance was then forced to land lower than it should have away from the vibrating crystal. The monk's fist gave off a faint green aura before it collided with the sheeted layer of stone and dug deep into its depths.

Lee Sin grabbed hold of what he could with his other hand and found toe holds for the tips of his boots in the crevices. His target was just barely within reach above him but he could do nothing whilst elbow deep in rock. With his free arm the offensive fighter reached up for the crystal and barely touched it with his fingertips. Just as he did, a massive stone hand collapsed onto his back forcing the air from his lungs and putting an unreasonable strain on his entire body from the sudden burst of kinetic energy.

The golem peeled the puny parasite from its chest held in its steadfast grip. Its victim struggled as hard as he could but he could not break the earthen hold. Into the air it brought its clenched fist, Lee Sin squirming within, and then descended with twice the speed.

Lee Sin was finally freed from the golem's grasp only to plummet straight into the thick grass below. The mushy soil damp with dew cratered slightly to the monk's body if only to tell the story of the force required to have even formed it.

Battered but still functioning, Lee Sin sucked in a forced breath and willed his muscles to bring him to a sitting position. He used the last of his temporary second wind to dive forward underneath the monster's legs. The golem's fist replaced Lee Sin's previous spot in the grass only mere seconds afterward. The resounding shockwave knocked its foe up off of the ground interrupting his motion to gather himself between the golem's legs. Lee Sin's back smacked into the rocky undercarriage but luckily he would be left only with light bruising.

Lee Sin landed on his stomach looking back the way he had come just in time to witness the fist rise from the dirt leaving an even deeper imprint than he did. His body ached all over eliciting a pained wince from his throat. Still, the fighter hadn't the time to lick his wounds just yet. The rocky stubs passing as feet on either side of him suddenly lowered a few inches. Like a spring, the bent legs released the heavy energy they built up and shot up from the dirt about a foot into the air.

The jungler nearly protested aloud the incredulous feat the golem exhibited. He would have to save the complaints for later though, his own pent up muscles released to propel him forward headlong into a roll just as the golem came crashing down to the earth into a sitting position. The resulting force was so powerful that Lee Sin's recovery was extended against his will sending him flying forward upside down and flailing about. The fallen log Lee Sin had leapt from at the beginning of the battle was first to put a stop to the monk's flight with a conclusive thud.

Cool dirt pressed into Lee Sin's cheek as he barely recognized that he ended up on his chest after colliding with the timber. He was too busy counting his blessings after having so narrowly dodged being squashed into the ground.

His wounds were starting to pile up, Lee Sin could feel each and every one of them. His body was steeled for battle, disciplined to take such inhuman punishment, but another hit like that and he knew it would be over quickly. This battle needed to end soon, he couldn't be wasting time with a monster in the forest when a war was being waged on the outside.

The thought of Riven's demise flashed through his mind.

Offense was the only solution here. Lee Sin pushed himself up with his hands and breathed in a strong breath through his nose. His legs found the earth underneath him and soon returned the warrior to his feet. His muscles felt the strain yet his iron will kept him standing. Ready to take the initiative, Lee Sin assumed another limber fighting stance and faced the golem over his left shoulder.

The rocky construct had just made it back to its usual stance revealing a deep hole underneath where it had planned to crush the puny jungler.

Lee Sin took the next move. Whipping around into an aerial spin, Lee Sin kicked out with his left foot and shot forth a resonating sonic wave. The machination of Lee Sin's will crashed into the golem's pulsating gem with dead on accuracy and enough of a punch to make the golem step back with one foot to steady its top heavy self. Small cracks rippled out from the impact site in all directions along the monsters form.

Just as the monk landed on his feet he continued the attack by leaping into similar spin just as he had done before. This time, by force of unrestrained conviction, Lee Sin powered through the air with his foot extended tracing the positively angled path the sonic wave had taken. Lee Sin's short war cry echoed off the rocky body just before his strengthened foot, enshrouded in a fiery red aura designating the power behind it, collided with the golems power source in the dead center of its chest.

The thunderous attack resulted in a booming explosion that sent stone splinters and rocky shrapnel flying in all directions. Still completely in control of his movements, Lee Sin exited the hollow husk of the golem out through the back side and glided through the air riding off the last of the momentum he had built chasing his sonic strike. He curled into a front flip and landed a couple yards out on his own two feet. Stepping forward to disperse the last of the momentum, Lee Sin finally came to stop and sighed with relief.

Another shockwave resounded behind him. Lee Sin looked over his shoulder to watch as the golem, now missing most of its rocky filling, collapsed on itself into a pile of rubble.

The victor sighed a "Whew," once more and started off into a casual walk to work off the dwindling adrenaline. A moment later he came upon the golem's core he had kicked through its body. The dying gem flickered with the last of its life half covered by grass and caked with mud.

Lee Sin stepped up to the core, brought up his foot, and crushed the magical gem with his heel. Sparks sputtered and squeaked underneath for a few seconds before a calm silence returned to the surroundings.

Wisps of soothing green magic poured out from underneath the monk's foot and encircled his body fully. All at once the magic enclosed and absorbed into he who freed it from the golem's container.

Instantly Lee Sin was able to draw a full breath. His wounds closed, the bleeding scrapes he hadn't even paid mind to halted their flow, and his whole body overall felt much lighter. The golem conqueror smiled with the reprieve before continuing his journey southeast.

* * *

_"That was... impressive..."_

Lee Sin had nearly forgotten about the summoner tethered to his consciousness. "It could have gone better," he responded half-heartedly. The rest of his attention was focused on sensing his surroundings, it'd been but a couple minutes from the last jungle encounter and another was bound to happen at any moment. Lee Sin was anticipating as such especially when he took his first step into another spread of tall grass.

_"I nearly used my magic to flash you out of there. But then... you just kept getting back up ready to fight some more. I cannot fathom how you do it," _the summoner praised.

"I've grown used to it," Lee Sin explained keeping his voice low as he crept through the brush, "At this point I'd have to considering how many times I've fought-"

A dry, throaty yell pierced the air just before something landed on Lee Sin's back. The monk was forced forward but he kept his footing. A stinging burn roared to life in his shoulder after a secondary growl loosed from the assailant on his shoulders.

Lee Sin reached back with gritted teeth and grasped the first thing he found – a cold, scaly arm. Tearing the small crude blade from his shoulder along with it, the blind warrior heaved the scaly beast forward over his head and into the ground ahead. The enemy bounced and skid off into the brush where it remained undetected.

Another sting caught Lee Sin's calf before he instinctively moved to dodge the full force of the cut. The monk looked over to barely catch sight of a figure disappearing further back into the tall thicket. Their small heartbeats were identifiable now but the thick grass made it difficult to move after them. The resumed growling signified a follow-up attack—Lee Sin had to reposition this encounter before the tiny beasts bled him to death. The puncture wound on his shoulder was already producing a steady stream down his chest.

This fight couldn't be waged within the brush. Lee Sin abandoned his defensive, rooted posture and made a mad dash forward and to his right. The growls chased him with increasing zeal but the warrior didn't sense another jumping ambush. Soon enough he was back out into the open and rid of the intrusive brush.

The path he had taken dumped him into an outcropping with high walls of impassable tree, brush, and stone on his right flank. A small fire burned near the center of the back in the half oval. Behind it stood Lee Sin's next opponent, a large humanoid lizard with blue scales clad in strapped leather armor and brandishing a chipped metal blade with a squared wooden shield in its clawed hands. The beast hissed lowly and flicked its forked tongue menacingly while focusing its burning glare onto the man who would dare invade its territory.

Lee Sin stared back with his special gaze and eased into a prepared fighting stance with widened feet and fluid arms held horizontally to his torso. Just as he suspected the ambushers from before stepped from the bushes he had come from hissing and squawking with anticipation. They too were lizardfolk, though much smaller, yet equipped similarly to their apparent leader.

Waiting around had become too much for the little ones. The first broke out into a charge with its bloodied knife held high and a guttural growl passing as a warcry. Its partner followed behind several steps squawking and hissing encouragements to its ally.

Taking note of the advancing master lizard taking gradual steps with a raised shield, Lee Sin focused on the one who would be upon him first. The monk hopped backward away from the enemy and shot his left foot high above his waist just as the lizardling came into range. Before the unintelligent mongrel could take a stab with its pitiful weapon, Lee Sin dropped his foot downward and planted it directly on top of the attackers head driving it into the ground with a bone-snapping crunch. For good measure, Lee Sin quickly used his other boot to kick the beastling's shoulder twisting it around so that its chest pointed upward towards the forest canopy while its head remained face down in the soil.

The second lizardling hardly seemed to notice the emphatic snap of its partners neck as it too charged with reckless abandon.

Lee Sin hadn't forgotten about the real threat edging closer with its wooden defense. He stepped off the skull of the already dispatched foe and shifted away from it about a foot. Just as the second lizard monster lifted its blade up high to attack, a leather boot struck its scaly hand lobbing the weapon through the air to skid through the grass harmlessly upon landing. The stunned beast couldn't react before Lee Sin's hand enclosed around its neck silencing its prepared squawk. A fist collided with its face knocking out what little coherent sense the monster had and leaving it dazed.

The warrior lifted the beast into the air and threw it overhead. Without missing a beat he spun, jumped, and kicked the lizardman just as it dropped into range pitching it through the air towards the massive scaled monster.

Clawed feet dug into the earth as the big lizard brought up its shield to defend against the living missile. However, it wasn't prepared for the force behind the collision. The little lizard crashed into the wooden shield with enough power to shatter it into a burst of splinters. A roar rumbled from the conscious foe as it turned away to shield its eyes from the splinters, a thick bit of shattered shield sticking from its now gushing eye socket.

Lee Sin dashed forward taking the offensive just as the monster shed the broken shield and kicked aside the mutilated corpse of its fallen ally out of sheer rage. The move proved detrimental as it simply allowed Lee Sin's fist a perfect shot at the lizardman's ribs. Roaring with anger, the lizardfolk swung out with its free fist trying to target Lee Sin with its one good eye. The agile monk merely sidestepped and punched again into the other side of the sword wielder's ribs. The lizard nearly doubled over but instead commenced a full bodied rotation in an attempt to sweep the unarmed fighter off his legs using its tail. Lee Sin jumped up to dodge and then landed into a half-crouch, then he shot up into a powerful uppercut colliding with the tailed beasts jaw.

The lizardman back stepped and squealed in pain as it brought up its claw to its now blood spewing mouth. A maze of uneven teeth made for a terrible circumstance for the tongue residing inside, the lizardman painfully discovered.

The blind warrior didn't relent. Lee Sin continued the assault by delivering a devastating blow to the scaly monster's diaphragm after reeling back his fist to build up enough power. Again he struck at the ribs with one, two, and then three punches, the last resulting in fracturing bone. The lizard swung diagonally out of panic with the blade it carried. Lee Sin mirrored the slash's arc with his body allowing to pass by pointlessly.

It was time to end the fight. The monk drove his left foot into the lizardman's right kneecap causing it to tilt that direction once the kneecap snapped backward. Next Lee Sin spun and delivered his left heel into the monster's sternum, this time it doubled over trying to scream with breathless lungs, broken ribs, and a profusely bleeding mouth. Leaping into the air, Lee Sin dropped his left elbow square onto the back of the monster's neck forcing its entire form onto the ground. The physically blind one executed his foe by kicking the scaly beast's head snapping its neck and releasing it from its suffering. As the Rift's magical embrace slowly disintegrated its body, green wisps of magic rose from the blue lizardman's defeated form and embraced the victorious champion standing before it.

Lee Sin stepped away from the illuminated corpse and took a knee to assess his situation. Again his wounds suddenly halted their bleeding and the gash on his shoulder seemed almost fully healed. The monk sighed in the state of alleviation. He was quite grateful for the healing, though it seemed the lizardman's gift was much more than that. The crouching warrior noticed familiar red runes revolving around him staying low to the ground. There were four of these magical red stones about the size of an open hand, each one of them bearing a glowing sigil. Lee Sin felt a chill run up his spine as he heard a calm hissing and a low, passive growl echo through his mind and then vanish. Somehow he felt as if the great lizard warrior he had just defeated was congratulating him, the red gifts bestowed upon him serving as a sign of respect from warrior to warrior in graceful defeat.

The monk rose to his feet and turned back to see that the corpse of his opponent was gone. Not the sword it wielded nor a single drop of blood remained. At last he could rest. His duty called for his presence outside of the forest but it would have to wait, for now the monk sat down in the grass upright with crossed legs. His thoughts cleared, his mind recuperated with silent meditation.

The peace was relaxing. While not magical, simply forgoing all thought and focusing on the sounds of the forest was enchanting. It soothed one's body and mind even if it was simply a powerful placebo. Birds twittered high above, a mouse skittered nearby under the veil of foliage, and the wind gently rustled the leaves. Then a man's voice called out.

"You're fast, Lee Sin, just as always. Frankly I should have anticipated you being here."

Lee Sin eased his way back into full consciousness, looked up toward the newcomer, and matched the voice to a face. At least, half of a face; the man's nose, mouth, and single braided beard were revealed but his eyes were hidden behind a helmet glowing with a seven-goggled gaze that glowed a soft light green hue. The revealed lips were curled into an easygoing smile.

"Master Yi," Lee Sin called out as he rose to his feet. His face too couldn't help but smile at the situation. "Maybe you're just finally slowing down."

The goggled man shifted in place, his grey gilded robe swayed slightly. On his shoulder he brought up and rested the back of a lengthy long sword that glowed a fiery yellow-green tinge.

"Come now, Lee Sin. I'll accept that I should have arrived here before you, however, do you truly believe my edge has dulled?"

Lee Sin planted his feet into a solid stance and smirked. "Show me that it hasn't."

The swordsman swung his blade out before him and then held it pointed to the ground off to his left. The brilliance of the weapon demanded Lee Sin's attention with the sleek aura it exuded. Blind or not, Lee Sin would know his obligation to respect the weapon.

Dramatic tension flexed Lee Sin's muscles into high alert as Master Yi stepped forward with an agonizingly slow descent of foot. As soon as his sole contacted the short grass the bladesman disappeared entirely leaving behind a faint, blurred trail of his form.

Lee Sin, despite employing the use of his second sight, couldn't hope to match the speed of this master warrior. Playing defensive was his only option, the awesome agility Yi wielded had the potential to bring him victory with one swing. Lee Sin knew Master Yi however, and he knew him well. Another man may have been cut down in this split second offensive but Lee Sin was much too hardened a combatant.

The blind monk acted on a gut feeling and spun out to his right finishing the maneuver by taking a knee in the damp forest floor. His left arm came up horizontally and shone with a bright green complexion giving the appendage the consistency of the strongest steel. When Lee Sin was able to comprehend the events that had transpired he found the paper thin edge of Master Yi's weapon pressing deeply into his forearm. Somehow he had managed to survive the instantaneous onslaught. Lee Sin chalked it up to having seen the great Master Yi in combat before many times.

The bright goggles peeked to the side of the flaring sword that didn't get any further than merely resting against the outermost skin of Lee Sin's arm despite the force applied. Yi's approving expression seemed out of place for life or death combat.

"Your blinding speed cannot unnerve the already unseeing," Lee Sin challenged from his stoop. His stall for time allowed him a breath's moment to plan a counterattack. Fighting unarmed versus a weapon known to cleanly slice through sheets of metal was incredibly strenuous—a single miscalculation would bring a swift death.

"Those who are blind often see the most," Yi agreed with a nod. "But not everything can be witnessed by one man alone."

Suddenly, the yellowish glow surrounding the master's weapon burst out angrily, flaring brightly, then returned to its normal fiery dance. The only difference was that now the blade glimmered coolly with a sky blue intensity.

Though the expulsion of light didn't affect Lee Sin's blind vision he still felt a pang of alarm overtake his plans for action. He felt a hot stream of blood pour out from underneath the sword resting against his empowered arm, pool up and bathe the extremity with thick crimson, and then trickle steadily down to the forest floor.

Scorching pain blazed through his arm, encircled his shoulder, and screamed at his mind for a solution. Disciplined and in control of his body as he was, Lee Sin temporarily ignored the alert and instead replaced the thoughts with ones of awe. His energy from within kept his defending arm shining solidly with bracing magic yet Master Yi's sword was cutting through as if it were the softest flesh. More blood poured from the wound as Lee Sin involuntarily winced and shifted his arm slightly, the bladed edge pushing so easily deeper into his arm.

Master Yi remained unmoving yet fully aware that he could take the monks arm with the slightest effort. Instead he stared into the small gemmed circle of metal hanging between Lee Sin's eyes on the red cloth that blinded his unseeing gaze.

Lee Sin inhaled sharply and shook of the creeping thoughts that edged at his mind. Unlike another's, the thoughts instantly dispersed leaving Lee Sin in complete control. Master Yi was giving him a second chance and throwing that away would be both disrespectful to his longstanding friend and detrimental to the goal of winning the bloody game taking place on the Rift.

His push back into the fight started by removing the deadly edge from his ineffective defense. Lee Sin took a gamble first by simply retreating the bleeding arm back to his body. The red river intensified as soon as it left Yi's sword but it did not slow the monk. Before his opponent could punish Lee Sin's disadvantageous position, the blind one turned his fault into a gain. The pained left hand thrust into the ground after the floored combatant twisted his torso around to the side and swung his body in a full circle leading with an empowered foot looking to sweep Yi off of balance. The master chose to dodge the blow rather than try anything more by leaping straight up and bending his knees to allow Lee Sin's attack to fulfill its circular motion unhindered. Just as Yi's plated boots touched the ground, Lee Sin's leather ones were finally flat against the grass once again a short distance away from his adversary.

"Dodge every blow, if you fail even once you will be killed, my friend," Master Yi advised. Lee Sin felt the flow of his fighting stance return and allowed his muscles to limber up. The warning was rather obvious.

Yi gave one final command after flicking the blood from his blade off to his flank, "Defend yourself!"

The swordsman shot forward with an overhead slash powered by enough speed to negate the opening such a move would create in his defense. His target was forced to hop backwards out of self preservation which meant he also could not counterattack, not with Yi's follow-up arching slash from left shoulder to right thigh. Another back step avoided death for the bleeding target. Instead of winding up for a third slice, Yi shot out with the length of his blade that would have skewered Lee Sin's stomach.

Ever aware of the offense, Lee Sin spun on his heel ninety degrees and sucked in his gut letting the blue weapon strike forward with its flat side just inches from his abdomen. Before Yi's attack came to a stop his blind adversary had lifted his closet foot threatening for a reprisal. The booted heel connected with Yi's wrist that gripped the hilt of his blade and sent it and the sword swinging out wide to the swordsman's left leaving him rather defenseless.

Lee Sin loosed a vocalized exhale and drove his palm into Yi's chest forcing him to retreat several steps. The resulting strike exploded outwards with a manifested crimson energy. Playing into his aggression, the monk followed a single step and fluidly drew a horizontal line through the air with the same hand he had used to take Yi's breath. A bolt of crimson rushed forward and exploded through the master's entire body on impact. The swordsman grunted from the sudden burst and tried to bring his sword in close to defend. Strangely he found that his muscles felt weak and unresponsive, everything seemed to move much slower than it should.

The onslaught didn't end there. Lee Sin pressed on and swung his balled fist straight into his foe's diaphragm. The swordsman doubled over the hammer-like hand and grunted involuntarily. Lee Sin raised his elbow aiming to drive it into Yi's back but was interrupted when the crippled blademaster threw his weight forward knocking the monk backward with his shoulder.

Master Yi recovered to a hunch still feeling the effects of Lee Sin's debilitation, though it was beginning to wane by the second. Still weak, Yi slashed outward from left to right with his sword but couldn't find the strength to recover completely and instead staggered a couple steps to the right. Luckily for him, Lee Sin was forced to retreat backward to avoid the edge of the glowing weapon that had now died back down to its yellow-green hue.

He couldn't let his opportunity fade. Lee Sin quickly closed the gap and went for another punch, this time it was underhanded and aimed for Yi's exposed kidney as he struggled to regain his footing and face his opponent.

Yi was ready this time. He was no stranger to combat, a single loss of control in a fight was no reason to recklessly try to regain it. It would have to come fluidly meaning it required focus. The quickest way in this case meant merely dodging the blow that probably would have taken his ability to stand for far too much longer than he could afford.

Like calm water, Master Yi shifted in place in synch with all of his muscles. Lee Sin's fist brushed harmlessly along his coat putting them back to back. The debilitation wearing off, Master Yi even managed to reverse his sword and jab it backward to impale Lee Sin. For a moment it felt as if he succeeded only it had simply been wedged between the monk's side and his arm. The duo leaned into each other's back, their muscles tensed and awaiting the others next move. Just as Yi's strength returned Lee Sin noticed the intangible red runes encircling him had faded. The master swordsman had fought through the agonizing slowing effect the runes caused on top of Lee Sin's own attenuating afflictions he'd delivered. The monk nodded in silent respect for the warrior's stunning endurance.

When neither budged for long moment, Lee Sin's voice broke the silence. "You're resilient, Master Yi."

Yi cocked his head, the back of his helmet lightly tapping the top of Lee Sin's bald skull. "Why do I get the feeling you keep associating the title 'Master' with old age," he questioned with a smirk.

Lee Sin smiled and turned his head to the opposite shoulder Yi was angled toward. "Let's see. You were one of the first to see the creation of the Institute of War, you now have a student you're passing on your signature style to, and in fact you've tutored many including myself over the years. You're old!" he teased.

Master Yi chuckled genuinely and let his helm fall back against Lee Sin's head as he looked to the canopy of the forest. "Ahhh that does make me sound old." Yi hummed in contemplation for a second before continuing. "Speaking of my student, I heard you slew him in the northern lane not long ago."

Lee Sin nodded with his response. "Indeed I did. Does this disappoint you?"

"No, not in the slightest. Wukong's arrogance is rather frustrating, and even though I've taught him most of my ways regarding the fighting style of Wuju, it is because of his attitude towards the world that he will not be able to grow. In no way do I expect him to be able to defeat you, not in his current state." Yi nodded conclusively with a brief hum. His lighthearted voice returned after a short moment of reflection. "In fact, I would appreciate it if you extinguished the fires of his ego again. He could use that a few more times." Yi cracked a wide smile as he began to envision the upcoming conversation with his student.

Lee Sin chuckled and then took in a deep breath then exhaled wistfully.

"Well," Master Yi began after the pause, "Is it time we finished this?"

"I suppose it is. Loser pays for a meal?"

"Always," Yi confirmed. "How's your arm?" he then taunted jokingly.

Lee Sin had almost forgotten amidst the adrenaline of the previous exchange. He looked down to find that the bleeding had certainly slowed but the deep gash had bathed his entire arm in blood so much that he couldn't even see the color of his own skin underneath.

"It's alright," Lee Sin responded sarcastically. "You think you can move normally now so we can finish this fairly?"

Yi smirked. "Panic in times of stress will only lead to further dismay. Even when sapped of my strength I did not abandon caution."

"Mmm. I take that as a yes?"

Master Yi grunted positively and recovered his sword. Rather than use it offensively, Master Yi slammed his back into Lee Sin's pushing him away and setting a reasonable distance between the two. The bladesman wheeled around and held his sword in front of him readied for one last engagement.

Lee Sin dug his boots into the grass and prepared to take the first move. Despite the wound on his arm he was relatively unharmed and ready to end this battle. Now that Yi's sword had returned to normal he could afford to block with his safeguarding magic, the only catch being that if Yi employed the use of that Wuju ability again he would not be so merciful.

The monk rushed forward eager to battle yet still fully aware of the reality of the situation. His fists clenched and brightened with the familiar green aura before clashing with Yi who worked his sword into a parry. Lee Sin's left knuckles collided with the edge of Yi's blade resulting in a clang akin to a pair of steel weapons colliding in a heated battle.

The fist retracted just as its brother came bolting forward for Yi's chest. The bladesman reacted just in time to bring the flat side of his long sword up to intercept the fist. His other hand not holding onto the hilt braced the flat blade towards the end of its length. Another metal ring defined the strength behind Lee Sin's punch.

Yi held steadfast under the might of the blow but his forward foot retreated back to support the rest of his body as it absorbed the shock of the blind one's strike. A second after the force had been transferred, Master Yi turned the pent up energy back onto the monk by pushing it back through his fist. Lee Sin's defense was broken with his empowered fists knocked loose giving Yi the perfect opportunity to score a hit.

Yi was next strike would ring true.

Lee Sin couldn't recover in time to dodge all of Yi's counteroffensive. The edge of the swordsman's legendary weapon glanced across Lee Sin's torso from left shoulder and diagonally downward in a swift motion that would barely register to the untrained eye. Streams of the monk's blood didn't begin flowing until a second after the swing when Yi was pulling his sword back up to continue the barrage—a gruesome testament to the dangerous agility Yi commanded.

Bloodied steel rushed forward after recovering but it didn't find its mark. Lee Sin ignored the cold burn of slit flesh raging across his torso and managed a backhanded fist that smacked the singing steel away before it could impale him. A disciplined warrior such as himself could distinguish between debilitating wounds and injuries that could be withstood; this one, while grisly, would not be enough to finish him. And so with his preserved fighting stamina Lee Sin instantly switched into an attack. His free fist crashed into Master Yi's chest.

The master grit his teeth and exhaled sharply from the blow. Another fist found his stomach, his chest, the opposite pectoral, and lastly his chin once it had been exposed. Yi stumbled off to the side gripping his jaw looking desperately for the slightest reprieve from the monk's sudden barrage.

Lee Sin closed the distance with a raised fist but was forced to shift his momentum the exact opposite direction when Yi suddenly spun around in a far reaching horizontal slash. Hot blood rushed forward from the sudden tensing of his abdominal muscles but he was safe from further harm this time.

Master Yi built upon the flow of his push by spinning sidelong into a powerful vertical strike at a seemingly impossible velocity. The blade crashed into Lee Sin's strengthened arm. Again he was safe yet the boon empowering his fists shook and threatened to dissipate from the raw power it defended against. Yi repeated the motion once more before Lee Sin could change tactics. This time Lee Sin felt a pinch in his wrist where the blade met—a small cut lined parallel to the gash from before was left behind as Yi pulled his sword back for another attack.

Whistling wind followed the arching blade as Yi descended from a leaping strike. Lee Sin barely had enough time to block with his other arm—dodging was simply impossible with Yi's incredible agility. The resulting force from the blow broke Lee Sin's stance and forced him to the ground. The Wuju master continued his assault with strike after strike after strike, each one seemingly faster than the last though the speed of any of the swings were hard to gauge themselves. Lee Sin could do nothing other than keep his lacerated arms up in defense and wait out the barrage. If his arms were to fail and a single strike slipped through Lee Sin would sooner comprehend waking up in the Rift's respawning platform than anything else.

At last, Yi's strikes slowed. The bruising wounds he'd suffered throughout their entire fight began to take their toll and Lee Sin could tell. The sword wielding warrior kept up the onslaught of slashes but Lee Sin was beginning to piece together a plan. He'd have to quick; quick for the sake of his arms as well as the small window of opportunity.

Lee Sin seized his chance.

Just as Master Yi pulled back to strike at his opponent once more, Lee Sin's boot suddenly shot out and swept the swordsman from his stance. His body went nearly horizontal mid air, his limbs swung wildly in an instinctive reaction to try and regain composure for a generous landing.

Lee Sin was faster this time however. In an instant he was back on his feet already spinning into an attack before Yi even began his descent. The monk yelled a powerful _"Eku!"_ battlecry and delivered an immensely powerful immolated kick at the end of his recovery straight into Master Yi's back.

The swordsman's body was sent flying backward until he crashed into the hard trunk of a tree with so much force that he bounced back the way he'd come, landed and rolled several feet, then halted completely.

Lee Sin knelt, regained his heavy breath, and quickly assessed the wounds he had sustained. The hundreds of slits on his arms created a mosaic of bright and dark red from his wrist to his elbows. The enchantment that willed his limbs into sustaining the strength of steel was fading rapidly but luckily it had lasted long enough to keep his arms mostly intact. He'd bled a lot, but until Lee Sin's body exsanguinated to the point of shutting down completely he'd keep fighting with all the strength he could muster.

In the near distance Lee Sin noticed Yi's body struggling to lift him from being face down in the dewed grass. Lee Sin's first thought was to be impressed—impressed that Master Yi even survived such a blow. The master was defeated however, all that was left to do was to end his suffering.

Lee Sin grunted back to his feet and stepped slowly toward his foe. Master Yi had found his way to his knees but there would be no more counterattacks. His sword lay before him in the grass glistening with the clear drops of moisture and streaks of Lee Sin's blood. Yi gripped his chest with one arm and used the other to support himself from falling over. His breathing was ragged, so much that it sounded like he was trying to suck in the air through a reed. Despite it all, the master managed a wide smile towards his friend as Lee Sin halted and stood a couple yards out.

"One of... the very... first rules of... combat," Master Yi called out with what little air he could achieve. "So old that... merely mentioning it is... much too cliché... especially... for your skill... as a warrior."

Lee Sin stopped him right there. "You can tell me after the battle is over. I'll deliver your defeat, seeing you this way is disheartening."

And so Lee Sin worked up the last combo that would finish off Master Yi. He took a steadying breath and lifted his boot a little ways off the ground in front of him. The monk spun one last time and kick out toward the crippled swordsman sending a distorted sonic wave blasting toward him. Yi hunched forward and took the blast with his shoulders which forced him backward but did not put him on his back. Lee Sin flew through the air with his foot outstretched ready to deliver the final blow.

The student should have considered the master's words.

With the very last pool of strength Yi had, so little that it would be the last move he could make, he leapt from his sitting position into the air with one knee held forward while the other leg hung below. Instead of descending back to the ground he remained mid air, levitating, and surrounded by a swirling shield of green energy. The blade before him was not forgotten; it too shot up and levitated vertically before its owner in stoic contemplation.

Yi began a chant—a slow, meditative mantra consisting of long drawn out syllables in a low pitched vocalization. The utterances echoed through the mostly transparent torrents of healing magic giving the master an intimidating yet at the same time oddly calming aura. Master Yi's sustained injuries began to lessen considerably at a rapid pace, the broken bones and puncture wounds reformed and closed themselves.

The process of the healing began and sustained itself even though Lee Sin was in mid flight toward his target. The outermost surface of the shield guarding the meditating swordsman within stopped and absorbed the shock of the collision from Lee Sin's foot. Briefly touching an oddly solid surface, Lee Sin shifted his body and backflipped off of the temporary barrier to land on his feet in slight disbelief.

Master Yi finished his curative recital and slowly lowered back to the earth. He grabbed the hilt of his blade from out in front of himself and swung it out to the side to get a feel for its weight now with reinvigorated muscles. Then, with a knowing smile, Yi stepped forward at a casual pace toward Lee Sin looking rather unharmed.

Lee Sin assumed a fighting stance prepared for yet another engagement though in the back of his mind he recognized the danger he was in. The difference in sustained injuries had shifted completely into Yi's favor. The monks fists clenched tightly, he would have to have the first strike.

Master Yi's blade flashed bright blue.

It was done. Lee Sin's muscles involuntarily released all of their built tension and relaxed. He stood up straight, sighed with dejection, and faced Yi with respect.

"Underestimation of your opponent, no matter how the odds may appear, will lead to your downfall."

Lee Sin nodded and gave a weak smile. "You're right. How careless of me." He chuckled a few times then extended his arms out to his sides. "Well you've won this one, take your victory."

"It was close. Apologies, dear friend," Yi stated before bringing his glowing blade up to his shoulder ready to run the monk through.

Before the final blow could be dealt, Master Yi's attention was caught by something soaring through the air above. He shifted in place and looked hard to try and identify the projectile through his enhanced, goggled vision. Before he could, the master's eyes widened behind his goggles and instantly his body tensed and shifted to jump out of the way.

Lee Sin had turned and tried and identify what caught Yi's attention but whipped back around to see Yi barreling out to the side. Just as he backstepped himself an abrupt explosion of electric energy quaked the ground from where Yi was standing. Lee Sin hopped backward and shielded his face instinctively.

Just as quickly as the explosion began it fizzled out into nothingness within a few seconds. Yi, however, was already headlong into another roll just before another similar explosion erupted from that place as well. Lee Sin, seeing that he wasn't the target of this sudden intervening force, took the time to trace the arc of the lobbed static energy to find none other than Xerath, the Magus Ascendant, tethered to the ground in the distance surrounded by a storm of arcane energy snapping and bolting off from his ethereal body and charring the grass around him.

A third burst of energy erupted from his form headed straight for where Yi was rolling. Now that he was revitalized, the master had the energy to shift his course just enough to avoid the brunt of the third explosion but the shockwave sent him rolling. The swordsman regained his footing just in time to find a harmless beam of energy thinner than the width of his pinky protruding from his chest. Yi had just enough time to trace the uneven bolt of static forward to Xerath before an enormous wave of electric magic rushed forward and consumed Yi's entire body.

The Wuju bladesman was left kneeling slightly paralyzed from the sudden burst of arcane magic once it dissipated. He grit his teeth and looked up to see this second foe approaching with a growing ball of magic formed between his electric clawed hands that, like the rest of his body, was made up of pure arcane magic that pulsated a bright sapphire blue hue.

Lee Sin stood his ground; getting in the way of the lexicon of raw arcane power would most likely result in his own death.

Xerath roared with primal fury and threw the matured orb of magic straight for Master Yi. Seeing that he could not hope to fight this battle, the armed warrior kicked on a burst of speed and leapt from his crouch into a sprint on the opposite side of the incoming energy sphere from where Lee Sin stood.

The monk watched as Yi fled the scene at great haste. He considered chasing for a moment but that was just simply the competitive warrior within talking. Lee Sin needed time to lick his wounds; Xerath's assistance preserved his life so that he may continue the fight.

The mage roared with unbridled fury as he watched Yi escape flawlessly. When the Wuju swordsman had completely left his sight, Xerath suddenly turned on Lee Sin and levitated towards him with angry sparks flying in all directions.

"You let him flee you useless worm!" the monolith roared. "I would not have spared your life if it didn't mean an advantage for Yi! I should kill you myself!"

An invisible shockwave expanded from the angered being forcing Lee Sin back a few steps. He lifted his arms defensively and tried to work up something to say. All of the scenarios in his mind however seemed like they'd just worsen the situation.

Luckily, perhaps, Lee Sin would not have to provide an answer to Xerath's rage. As if the battle on the Rift refused to settle down, another combatant stepped into the fight.

A black fog rolled in and enveloped Xerath completely removing him from Lee Sin's sight, even with his second vision. A dark cackle that sounded like the shadowy voice of Death himself amplified by a metal encasing echoed from the cloud. Lee Sin considered diving inside in an attempt to assist Xerath with this new onslaught but instead he opted to circle the cloud looking for any sort of sign of its creator. Alas, he could see nothing, and jumping inside the black fog would prove to be a terrible decision.

The cackling ceased and soon the furious screams of Xerath resounded from the center of the dark cloud. A few seconds later the screams ended and the wisps of black smoke began to fade. When they had disintegrated completely the resulting scene was of Zed, the Master of Shadows, standing over a corpse of collapsed arcane runes and fizzled magic. The assassin clad in sharp steel and red cloth retracted one of the twin claws attached to his arm from the mess of what was once Xerath.

Zed turned slowly toward Lee Sin and hummed into another threatening muse. The blades on his arms extended as he broke off into a brisk walking pace towards the monk. Two exact clones of himself made up completely of the smoke from before arose on both of his flanks and mirrored the quickened pace exactly.

Lee Sin, slightly unsure of the impending battle, loosed a sonic wave for the material Zed in the middle. Just before the wave collided with him, Zed swapped places with his shadow clone faster than one could even blink. The wave passed through and disrupted the shadow's form for a moment before it repaired itself and continued its gait. The clone switched places with Zed without losing a single step once again.

Unnerved, Lee Sin began a retreating backstep the way Master Yi had fled. The motion merely fueled Zed's bloodthirst.

"You cannot outrun your shadow," Zed threatened with cruel intent.

This battle simply couldn't be won, Lee Sin decided. The monk turned heel and broke off into a sprint for all he was worth. The foliage and bushes blurred into streaks of varying shades of green as Lee Sin dashed for his life incited by the desire of self preservation for his allies rather than actual fear. He ran blindly for a long while until he found an entrance into the river and the safety beyond. Lee Sin breathed a little easier as the terrain under his feet shifted from spongy grass to light splashes of cool water.


	3. Chapter 3

The rhythmic slapping of water soon slowed and died to little more than a pitter patter with each of Lee Sin's steps. His chest expanded and compressed faster than usual as a side effect from his long sprint. Fatigue had yet to get the better of the steeled warrior though, he even took in each breath through the nose rather than gasp for the nourishing air. His footsteps then stopped.

Looking down, Lee Sin watched as the water stilled enough for his reflection to appear relatively recognizable though still a bit hazy. The monk was a mess. His arms were caked with dried blood so much that it looked as if he were wearing sleeves of red. A matching robe of crimson draped down the front of his torso stemming from the long cut he had sustained from earlier.

His breathing eventually settled down. Just as it did, the first signs of exhaustion began to arise. Lee Sin's body was disciplined and conditioned to ward off such disadvantages during states of heightened alert, but outside of combat, he was still merely human.

Turning one last time to assure he wasn't followed, the tired combatant dropped to his knees and sat against his heels. The cool waters lapping softly at his skin were relaxing—quite the welcomed change from recent violent events.

Lee Sin cupped one of his hands with the river water and poured it over his most injured arm. The temperature stung as it poured down either side of the appendage turning brownish with blood as it traveled. The hand that poured then lowered to try and rub some of the blood away but it only took off a couple unnoticeable layers. He tried using his shortened fingernails for a moment before realizing how pointless it was.

Enjoying the gentle breeze on his worn body, earthy scent gracing his nose, and refreshing waters soaking into his boots and leggings, Lee Sin let himself fall into a small trance. Sadly it wouldn't last very long.

_"How are you holding up, Lee Sin?"_ interrupted the summoner connected to his mind.

Lee Sin quickly swallowed any immediate frustration and responded quietly. "I am well. I was merely resting for a moment." He took in a deep breath and stood back up.

_"Mmm... I'm sorry I couldn't help much back there. I almost casted one of my spells but I wasn't sure if it was opportune, I didn't know if-"_

"Do not worry," Lee Sin said cutting off the distressed summoner, "Let us focus on our next objective. Also, do you have any healing potions in reserve to give me?"

_"Apologies, I did not purchase any when last you visited the shopkeeper."_

Lee Sin inwardly sighed but made sure to keep the emotion within. "Never mind it. How is our team doing?" He broke off into a casual yet brisk pace down the river after speaking. The protests of his muscles and stinging wounds made sure Lee Sin knew about them if his conscience was trying to ignore them completely.

_"...Not good. You saw our middle lane when you dashed across from the northern to southern river, right? Xerath lost his tower there a while ago. Once he made the move to come assist you, Zed led a large group of minions down to take the tower behind that. I don't even need to explain how beneficial that is for their team... and how detrimental it is to ours."_

"Do not lose faith," Lee Sin assured still speaking out loud, "Again, focus on what next needs-"

_"Hold on Lee Sin, I'm communicating with the other summoners."_

The battered monk continued his pace south in silence while his summoner went quiet. Half a minute later the voice returned.

_"Keep going south, Lee Sin, and quickly. Our bottom forces are suffering heavy losses. The marksman Graves is under heavy fire and his supporting ally Leona is in dire trouble."_

Lee Sin was already on the move. Despite the pain creeping over his body and his sapped muscles begging for a longer break now that they've been put back into use, the monk trudged on.

* * *

True to the words of Lee Sin's summoner, the battle being waged in the bottom lane was tilted heavily into the enemy's favor.

Groups of either side's minions rushed forward to skewer and char one another with wild zeal marking the next and final phase before champion blood would spill. They would prove to be mindless target practice for the opposing marksmen.

Graves, a sturdy and gruff man cloaked in a brown garb over his leather gear shifted the lit cigar in his mouth before advancing forward just enough to fire over the heads of his own minions. He brought up a heavy double barreled cannon he classified as a firearm and looked down the iron sights. A quaking explosion tore through the left barrel and launched a thick projectile straight for the closest minion. The resulting impact didn't leave much of the creature behind.

Without missing a beat the gunman turned slightly and wasted another one of the magical beings. Two empty shells clicked out from the weapon's mechanisms and left a thin trail of smoke as they plummeted down to the dusty path.

Graves grunted as he felt a force on his shoulder push him down to his knees. He turned and eyed the auburn haired woman kneeling beside him looking rather disappointed. The marksman hadn't even noticed the singing red arrow whiz past his head just seconds before.

"Quit... blinding yourself to your surroundings," the gold plated warrior, Leona, uttered with a wince. Though her armor was strong, it had been pierced many times in recent events. The metal exterior hid just how bad her wounds underneath truly were.

"Awww, I'm jus' doing my job, lady," Graves responded with a sweetened tone.

Leona's fist balled, lifted, and struck back down on Graves' shoulder. "This is not a time to be so carefree! I've saved you countless times and I can't keep-"

The radiant woman's bright eyes widened in horror as she caught sight of a bow in the distance loosing more arrows. She grunted with purpose and shifted the massive plate shield she carried in her opposite hand to receive the flying bolt in front of both her and Graves. The force of the impact shook her arm with its dangerous threat but Leona held steadfast.

"Mighty nice work, lady,"

Leona didn't even oblige the gunner with a glance. Instead, she rose up on her knees and peered through the arch atop her wall of metal.

"Damn archer's wantin' to end this I reckon. Well," Graves cocked the weighted cannon at his side. "I 'spose it's time he dies. Cover me, lady."

Graves slowly rose from his position and stared down the lane. Both barrels mirrored his vision a second after and prepared to deliver their explosive payload. Graves' finger caressed the triggers underneath until he found the proper arc to fire. The minions in the lane had all been killed by sword, magic, bullet, or arrow, all that left was the grey archer in the distance with long, stark white hair and a hunched stance.

"Goodbye you scrawny bastard-"

Graves pulled both triggers at the same time but his shot was altered at the last moment. Two loaded shells exploded through the barrel and continued their aggressive reaction after they'd left. Both projectiles combined to form an enormous fiery ball with enough power to shatter a mountain.

No mountains would be shattered today however, only a hill in the distance next to the mouth of the river. The resulting quake shot out and violently shook the lane. Extremely angered that the napalmed rock was not burning away the archer, Varus, in the distance, Graves instantly turned and prepared to yell at the woman who had pushed his shot away.

Leona had just recovered from the staggering explosion before barreling into Graves and knocking him onto his back. The outlaw didn't even have time to voice his concern before she threw herself over his body and turned to the side with her shield shading both of their forms.

"Leon-" Graves sputtered just before the onslaught commenced.

It sounded like rain on top of a metal roof. Red arrows fell from the sky as if the very clouds had fired them. Leona took each of the hits with gritted teeth—both with her shield and her body. A few of the bolts slipped through and pierced her back, legs, and shoulders. Graves was left unharmed even as the crimson shafts pincushioned their immediate surroundings.

Several agonizingly long moments later, the downpour finally subsided. Leona's eyes blinked back open to a squint and traced Graves' face. She opened her mouth to speak but no words came through. Her strength then failed completely, the heavy shield was cast aside while her wounded body gave out to the opposite side.

Graves scrambled to a sitting position and brushed the warm hair from his savior's face. After not receiving a response, he rolled the woman onto her side and shook her shoulder.

"Lady... lady! Don't die on me, dammit!"

The gunner didn't receive so much as a blink for a response. Instead, Leona's body began glowing a bright golden color, so bright that Graves had to scoot backward and look away. When the mystical sounds of the sudden magic dissipated he opened his eyes back up to find his ally gone. The last thing to catch his attention was the woman's long sword, which had been stabbed into the ground a few steps away, already fading with similar magic until it too was gone. All traces of Leona were now missing from the bottom lane.

Graves spit the waning end of his cigar off to the side and shuffled to his feet. Without a second thought he reached for the stock of his weapon laying in the dust only to be interrupted by a red arrow piercing and pinning it to the ground before he could touch it. With a growl he stood up straight and turned to find the pale man just a few steps away. The archer stood with a crooked neck and drooping shoulders. The bow in his hands barely rested among his fingers at his side. The empty ethereal gaze in his eyes stared on from behind a few wisps of his bleached hair.

Not even noticing that the arrows had disintegrated, Graves lunged forward and threw a powerful right hook aimed for the bowman's nose. Varus calmly sidestepped and watched the outraged gunner stumble forward. In a flash he took up his bow, pulled back the magic string that appeared at his command, and loosed a thin featherless red arrow that pierced Grave's calf.

The outlaw shrieked from the sudden pain but managed to keep his footing by hopping a few steps on his good leg. Graves turned back around to face Varus with a deadly look in his eye.

"I'd kill you a thousand times over you pale shell of a man." Graves breathed heavily and grit his teeth trying to ignore the bolt in his calf. A wave of panic washed through his mind as the reality of the situation surfaced.

"How about you let me grab my gun and we'll do this like gentlemen. We'll have ourselves a duel."

Varus responded by waving his free hand and then letting it drop back down to his side. Graves scrunched his brow in angry confusion before several shadowy tendrils burst from the ground and wrapped around his body. The magic bindings held his arms in the air and out to the sides while keeping his back straight and tall. Graves struggled fruitlessly and then settled for a roar of frustration.

A voice laden with ethereal overtones slithered from the archer's throat. "You had your chance, criminal."

Varus brought his bow in front of him and pulled back the string. Another arrow materialized but instead of firing, the archer pulled back further and flicked the stock of his bow. Two more long stocks split from the others and angled out to form an 'X' shape with their origins. The arrow at the middle grew considerably in size and formed and sharp notch at the end. Varus shook as he struggled to contain the energy building within the projectile as it grew to its maximum potential.

Graves forced the air between his teeth and looked away in disgust.

With a final roar Varus released his grip on the bowstring. The massive arrow flew forward for Graves' chest with bloodlusting abandon.

* * *

Lee Sin abruptly stopped his advancement before reaching the end of the thick brush that concealed his position. From the mouth of the river he peered through the dense fronds and quietly observed the archer in the distance. On the ground before him was a body of white light—its incandescence much too intense to identify who it was that had been killed. As if on cue, Lee Sin's summoner cleared up any confusion.

_"Varus just killed both Graves and Leona, by himself at that! ...What should we do?"_

Lee Sin remained silent and watched the last of the light on the dusty ground fade away. His response was curt and soundless within his mind, _"What we should do."_

The bowman had begun a slow paced walk back towards the safety of his tower. Lee Sin awaited and anticipated the proper time for his move to be made. Seemingly oblivious and perhaps riding his ego after having slain two champions by himself, Varus had no knowledge of the dragon lying in wait.

The dragon pounced.

Varus was hit by a precision wave of force that nearly swept him off of his footing. He turned and barely caught himself from sinking to his knees by upholding his weight with his left hand. As he turned to complete a spin and rise up to face the threat, he saw only a leather sole rocketing toward him.

The boot crashed into Varus' nose, transferring all of the kinetic energy from Lee Sin to his own body, and sent him flying backward toward the Rift's rocky bounds. Varus smacked into the wall with enough force to rebound his direction back the way he had come partially thanks to the boundary magic that repelled would-be deserters.

Lee Sin charged his right steel fist and swung out with all his might to intercept the body coming back to him. His white knuckles met Varus' face with a sickening crunch. The archer's body whipped downward and slammed into the dirt beginning with the back of his head.

The monk flexed his fingers and let the magic dissipate from his digits. A brief glance downward confirmed the telltale glow of a fallen champion. Satisfied and filled with a justified sense of completion, Lee Sin turned heel and took a couple steps back toward the middle of the opposing half of the bottom lane careful to avoid the brush that waved gently in the breeze.

Lee Sin felt the coming of another congratulation or praise from his summoner but quickly stifled the effort with a mental utterance. The summoner fell away into silence as Lee Sin turned slowly toward the enemy bush. Something was hiding there, a faint rustling confirmed it. The warrior inhaled sharply, hardened his senses, and dashed into the bush with a newly prepared balled fist.

His target was not far off and the rapid increased disturbance of the brush told of the fear it contained. Lee Sin, disregarding the normally vision impairing aspects of the tall grass, sprinted forward and sensed his enemy within just a foot in front of him.

Suddenly a resounding _clang!_ exploded from his shin. The obtrusive object, probably some sort of desperate trap, sent Lee Sin flying forward off of his gait, but it did not matter. Even whilst airborne he managed to reach out and wrap his arms around the perpetrator. Unable to see clearly even with his special sight, Lee Sin tackled the target to the ground and shared a decently lengthened roll. Swaths of blue cloth and teal strands of hair flashed by his vision mixed with blotches of green grass and moistened dirt.

The rolling came to a stop but not before Lee Sin flipped his target under him and held the champion pinned. The fist he had prepared from before raised and threatened to lash out at the face before him, however it halted as Lee Sin took in the sight of what he held captive between himself and the dirt.

Radiant sapphire eyes swelling with azure innocence, widened in abject fear, contrasted against the softest face of gentle white faintly blushed with shades of rose and speckled with dirt. The delicate pink lips under her sculpted nose, trembling slightly, were parted and rapidly sucking in and exhaling air out of fear. Complementing her soft complexion and expressing the deep blue of her irises, thin strands of bright teal hair invaded random parts of her face after having been disturbed by the tumble. The rest of their length traced back to a great deal of luminescent hair bunched up on either side of her head flowing out to her surroundings now that she was flat against the dirt.

Lee Sin's elbow drooped yet he did not relinquish his fist completely. He remained motionless and unaware of his own parted lips out of sheer awe and confusion. The poor girl under him looked so innocent and out of place. Who was this woman and why was she out here in the middle of a bloody battle? Lee Sin scanned his memory and assured himself that he'd never seen the teal headed beauty before within the Rift, the Institute of War, or anywhere for that matter. In vain he tried to process it all forgetting that he was still threatening to crush the girl under his fist.

A few sniffles broke the dominating combatant from his contemplative trance that he held locked within the wide blue pools before him. A single tear sparkled at the corner of the beautiful eye until the azure reservoir overflowed and sent it streaming down the side of her harmless visage.

_"Please... d-don't hurt me..."_

The melodic voice echoed softly through Lee Sin's mind. His eyebrows bounced in surprise at the ...sound? The voice definitely did not pass his highly trained ears nor did the girl's lips move. Confused, though once again aware, Lee Sin leaned back off of the woman a little bit and lowered his hand.

_"I-I'm not here to hurt anyone! I..."_

The voice made Lee Sin squint in puzzlement. How could a third voice communicate within his mind? Why was it so much more enchanting and clear than a linked summoner's voice or his own thoughts? Speaking of summoners, could his hear her too? None of it was making any sort of sense.

"I won't hurt you," Lee Sin assured slowly. The possibility of a trap reminded him to be a bit more mindful of the situation. Already he remembered another woman, crafty as a fox, and very adept at playing the victim just before turning it on her target.

Slowly the woman brought her free hand up to her lips and shielded her mouth with the tip of her knuckle. The sight was certainly disarming.

Lee Sin then remembered the reason for the fall they took and glanced back that direction. Not far off he noticed something golden poking out of the green fronds. It had to be her weapon, without it she was surely harmless.

He couldn't even confirm the girl was a participant in this battle let alone registered within the Institute of War. Slowly he offered the woman a bit more leeway by lifting himself off of her and crouching on his toes in front of her.

Hurriedly the girl sat up and brought her robed legs in to her chest. Her eyes flicked towards the shining object in the distance then back to the sightless red cloth shielding her attacker's eyes. Lee Sin remained unmoving, meeting her gaze with a vision she couldn't fathom.

Of course he noticed the panicked yearning for the golden weapon in the distance.

"Is that yours?" he spoke calmly.

The girl nodded slowly with a long blink.

The interrogation continued. "What is it?"

_"It is my instrument. I play music."_

Again the mental voice nagged at Lee Sin's curiosity yet he found its tone oddly soothing.

"What are you doing with it here on the Rift?"

_"My m-music can heal the injured. I was helping Varus..."_

Lee Sin nodded and then as he came to a realization. The poor girl had witnessed the entirety of the brutal deliverance he had just inflicted on the archer. She seemed so innocent that he felt a slight pang of guilt for having dispatched him like that right in front of her.

Coming out of his thoughts, Lee Sin noticed the balled up girl looking on at his body with very wide eyes and a quickened breath. By now she should have recovered her breathing from their sprint, Lee Sin surely had, but the woman's continued increased heart rate told the monk of her heightened fear.

Unsure as to why his declaration of peace did not relax his supposed opponent, Lee Sin looked down at his own body. He had completely forgotten. His bloodied, brutally notched and gashed arms and similarly battered and sanguinated body made for quite the intimidating appearance. Fresh blood belonging to the archer from before shone brightly on his fist with what light it could catch. Lee Sin was simply a mess, a frightening mess that told the tale of multiple violent battles.

The battered monk sighed and slowly rose to his feet. As he did the girl cowered even more but he did not hear any sort of sound come from her.

"If I get your instrument do you promise not to hurt me with it?"

The girl's eyebrows scrunched briefly at the thought of how she'd possibly inflict harm with a musical instrument. Lee Sin scratched the back of his head as he too considered what he just said. The teal headed one then silently nodded agreeing not to bash the monk over the head with her "weapon."

Lee Sin sighed through his nose and walked back to the item he tripped over earlier. He came upon the edge and grabbed it to lift. As he pulled he found that the instrument was quite long, curved slightly with a prominent point at its halfmark, and stringed. Strangely, the strings were laid out like a piano's keyboard. The monk held the light instrument in his arms and turned his head to scan the entirety of its form. With a shrug he then returned to the mysterious female and laid it out before her.

"There you are."

The girl smiled at his kind gesture for a second and fidgeted with her fingers. She looked down toward the instrument and stroked one of her fingers across the frame then retreated back to fidgeting. Cautiously she looked back up to Lee Sin still completely unsure of the blood bathed warrior.

_"D-do you want me to play you a song, perhaps?"_ she spoke to Lee Sin's mind with the most unsure of tones.

He nodded slowly and offered a warm smile. "That sounds-"

The words stopped in Lee Sin's throat never to fulfill their purpose. The monk remained motionless, the world spun, he hardly sensed anything. All he could hear was the strange dying beat of his own heart. He managed to look downward, his sight taking a few seconds to adjust. The woman he had tackled was now on her back using her arms to support herself. Her face was even more horrified than ever and now spattered with blood. His blood.

Lee Sin tried to release a breath but no part of his body would respond. A glint of metal caught his eye and he traced it back down to his chest where two long metal blades sprouted. Unable to even form much of a thought, Lee Sin's vision failed as did his body. The last thing he heard was the dusky, throated voice of the Master of Shadows.

"Do you understand now, monk? You cannot outrun your shadow."


	4. Chapter 4

Lee Sin awoke to the chilling touch of smooth stone all along his right cheek, chest, and stomach. Much of his sight was still a blur and his body didn't feel all that responsive. He remained lying face down for a moment while mentally checking over his body by feeling for every inch of his skin. Slowly he twitched his legs and then dug his knees into the stone. On either side his hands flattened and prepared to push himself up, and after a brief collection of his groggy strength, they did.

The monk groaned as he focused his vision on the runic tile underneath himself. The stone was cold to the touch but it was not lifeless-etchings of azure indiscernible words silently pulsed throughout the flooring. Lee Sin rubbed his thumb over one idly still trying to come out of his somewhat paralyzed state.

After a deep breath, Lee Sin sat up one knee and placed one foot flat before him. As the blurriness in his vision began to fade he figured out just where he was: certainly not where he thought he was going to end up. Lee Sin briefly pondered why he was back in the summoning chamber within the Institute of War. The last thing he could recollect was the burning wound in his chest caused by Zed's razors.

Of course the thought would enflame his chest once more, it felt as if the blades were still there. Lee Sin winced and grasped at his heart. The magic that had revived him left his body completely unharmed but phantom pains still lingered as a sick reminder of defeat. Simple exhaustion from the battle wasn't cured either.

Suddenly a violent explosion of electric energy exploded to Lee Sin's left. The monk shielded his face and looked on as best he could to see Xerath roaring in another fit of rage. Rather than focusing his anger on any particular figure in the room, the monolith levitated towards the large double doored exit that swung wide to the path outside.

Several robed figures meandering about stopped to witness the locus of raw energy storm out of the halls. Those anywhere near Xerath's intended direction quickly dashed out of the way to avoid becoming collateral damage. Lee Sin and the rest of the onlookers watched until Xerath descended down the stairs outside and disappeared from sight.

The injured warrior sat back on his rear and rested his forearms on his knees taking in steadying breaths trying to deal with the soreness and pains throughout his body. He was thankful Xerath didn't turn on him. The archmage's personality was just as if not more volatile than the very magic he wielded, and outside of the Rift, the raw energy he carried was considerably more dangerous being relatively unhindered.

"Alright. Get up," Lee Sin muttered to himself after his gathering respite. Sitting around on the floor would get him nowhere. Since he and Xerath had returned to the summoning chamber it had to mean Riven was around somewhere close by. Determined, the recovering combatant suppressed his body's protests and winced his way onto his feet.

Over in the corner on a stone bench he spotted a mess of stark white hair held between a pair of hands. It was easy to find her in the nearly empty but large hall. Lee Sin smiled slightly at the sight of his friend and quickly made his way over to her.

"Riven," he called out gently as he approached, the halls echoed well enough so that a near whisper could pass as an acceptable volume of conversation. "Riven, are you alright?"

Riven moaned some sort of depressing response and began rubbing her temples more with her hands. Lee Sin reached in and ran his hand through her hair.

"Feeling worn out?"

Riven nodded not bothering to look up or do much of anything else besides rub her head. Lee Sin continued to trace his fingers gently but firmly throughout her scalp. Grateful, the sore girl hummed a pained sigh before retracting her hands and looking up at Lee Sin with squinted eyes as if the chamber was much too bright. The room was, however, much more on the dim side lit only by soft blue fires burning eternally on torches patterned along the walls.

Though she felt terrible, Riven's lips curled into a small smile as she gazed upon the red bandana around Lee Sin's eyes. Her voice came out first as a croak before it evened out. "Did we lose then?"

Lee Sin nodded. "Our summoners must have agreed to surrender. I'm afraid we did indeed lose."

Riven rubbed her eyes with thumb and forefinger and groaned. "Ah, whatever. I don't care much about it right now."

Lee Sin chuckled before teasing the usually fiery woman. "Hey, the Riven I know always strives for victory. Of course you care about-"

"All I care about is this splitting headache," Riven interrupted whilst vocalizing her discontentment.

Lee Sin casually took a seat next to Riven and began idly massaging her closest shoulder while surveying the rest of the room. Bright gold armor instantly caught his attention off toward the exit. Up against the wall Leona held her finger pressed into Graves' chest as she uttered sharp, criticizing whispers. Graves simply held his hands up in exaggerated capitulation and chuckled innocently here and there between Leona's remarks. Lee Sin found the silly exchange somewhat heartwarming despite the aura of defeat pervading the room.

That emotion evoked the thought of the blue haired woman he had met. Again he pondered who she was and where she suddenly came from. He almost wanted to hurry over to the second summoning chamber in hopes of finding her but he couldn't just up and leave Riven. She could use his support just as much as he could use her company. Riven seized the unspoken offer by leaning into Lee Sin's shoulder and softly whining more about her throbbing head.

The blind monk wrapped his arm over to her other shoulder and squeezed the girl into a gentle hug while chuckling under his breath.

"Come on, let's get going. The officials will be chasing us out of here soon." With that he began making his way to his feet while pulling Riven along too. Both of them successfully stood, and just as they did, the sudden change of distribution in weight caused the aching phantom gash in Lee Sin's chest to cry out again. He winced the pain into suppression and started off toward the exit. Riven followed but seemed to struggle at keeping up with the pace. She walked with a sort of limp from more sore muscles all along her back.

Lee Sin turned back and sighed knowing he needed to do something. He noticed she was carrying her half-blade on her back slung over her shoulder and tethered by a single leather strap. Out of simple courtesy the monk grabbed the strap and lifted it over her head.

"Here, let me help you out." Riven grunted a protest but Lee Sin had already secured the weapon onto his own back.

"I can carry it," Riven complained while rubbing her eyes trusting the blind monk to lead her steps.

"Yes, well, now you don't have to. Open your eyes now, I doubt I can carry you down the steps."

"Why not," Riven started as she blinked away the blotchiness in her sight, "Are you saying I'm heavy?"

Lee Sin scoffed. "No, I just can't carry you with the feeling of a blade stabbing through my chest ever present."

Riven cocked her head as she descended the steps gingerly, her eyes trained on her foot placement. "What happened?"

Lee Sin sighed and began telling her about the first run in with Zed during the match. By the time he had finished with the last description of his demise they had already traversed the steps down from the Institute and made it halfway along the long stone bridge that expanded across a bright aquamarine body of water. They finished the bridge crossing in silence whilst glancing about at the shining ripples in the water and the glistening dark blue stalactites jutting from the cave ceiling high above.

Both combatants came to a halt as they reached the crossroads at the end of the bridge.

"Feeling any better?" Lee Sin asked genuinely.

Riven's tone was enough to answer. "Not really. My head, my back, my everything, it all feels terrible."

"Mmm," Lee Sin hummed in pity. "Well, I think I know what will help. Come on, follow me."

Riven shrugged and obliged. She was thankful that their pace had adjusted to her slowed movement now that they weren't being pressured to clear out from the Institute.

* * *

"Look up, we're here."

Riven had slung her arm across Lee Sin's shoulder for support during their trek to the establishment and her gaze remained looking downward with closed eyes for most of the trip. At Lee Sin's command, the defeated champion lifted her head and eyed the big glowing sign just above the revolving glass door.

Squinting, Riven raised an eyebrow at the sign overhead. "Gragas' bar?"

"Yeah," Lee Sin confirmed joyfully, "I figured you'd be hungry, I know I am. A meal will help with your head, I promise."

Riven sighed and broke away from Lee Sin's support. She rubbed her eyes for a moment before inhaling deep and looking ahead through the doors with a burst of forced social etiquette.

"Alright. Well, let's go then," she nearly questioned.

Lee Sin nodded and took the lead by stepping into the opening of the spinning door. He made sure Riven snuck in behind him before pressing the glass forward and turning the centerpiece. A few steps brought them into a vastly different setting compared to the deadened evening streets outside.

The bar was just that but better. The establishment also served as a restaurant; many sets of tables and chairs all finely carved and crafted peppered the sculpted stone floor on both the right and left. Down at the end of the expanse were doorways that led to even more places to dine. Gragas' dive was popular enough to warrant such space, but at this hour the patrons mostly attended the bar.

Lining the 'V' shape of both dining halls was a lengthy, dark wooden bar with countless bottles lining the walls behind. The barkeep counters were stocked with various fruits and ice chests along with racks of many different glasses and grails. The actual bar counters themselves were smooth and polished, completely unmarred by any sort of flaw despite their history. The few baristas dancing about the bar positions made sure to wipe away even the slightest drink perspiration ring as per the owner's high quality standards.

That same owner appeared outside one of the bar exits with wide arms and a warm welcome exclamation. "Heeey, Lee Sin! I haven't seen you in weeks!" Gragas stated while approaching with excited haste. His soft purple coat swayed with each large step he took and the braided moustache and beard mirrored the jostling.

Lee Sin nodded as Gragas stood before him. The burly beard enthusiast took up the long standing patron's hand for a powerful shake, so much that it seemed to nearly take Lee Sin's arm off.

"Gragas, it's good to see you again-"

"Aht," Gragas interrupted with a raised palm. The deep grooves told of his long-worked history yet they were smooth, just as a successful owner's manifers should be. "We'll ditch the ol' formalities right there, yeah? How about you tell me about this dame you've brought to my modest business on the way to your seats!" The jolly barkeep started a quickened pace down the left hall expecting the guests to follow. Riven and Lee Sin tailed Gragas but were surprised at how quickly the owner could traverse the hall considering his large, filled out body type. The customers nearly had to jog to keep up making sure not to catch their hips on the backs of empty seats.

"Bar or table?" Gragas inquired without turning his head. His booming voice was easily heard despite it.

"Table," Lee Sin confirmed after checking Riven's reaction. A quick scan of her wide eyed expression signified her indifference.

Lee Sin nearly bumped into the back of the purple coat when its wearer abruptly stopped. "Very well! Have a seat here, I'll get you some menus," Gragas instructed with an open palm.

Riven hopped around the back of an ornate chair and took her place at a two person table up against a large window. Lee Sin did so as well on the opposite side of the dining surface. To their surprise, Gragas slapped down two menus whose quality matched the rest of the bar within seconds.

"Ignore the prices you two, let Gragas take care of you tonight, so don't hold back."

Lee Sin looked up from the pamphlet with concern stiffening his brow. "Gragas, you don't need to do that-"

"Of course I do!" he exclaimed, "I still owe you, the least I can do is serve you a hot meal this evening. Plus..." Gragas led on with teasing anticipation. His eyes peeked over the tips of his small orange glasses and locked onto Riven who stared back in unsure anticipation for the deliverance. "This is the first time you've brought a date to my bar."

Riven's eyes widened and she quickly found the table to be more interesting to stare at.

"Oh- it's not-" Lee started.

"Riiight, riiight, it's not a date. I gotcha. Keeping it all under wraps, I know how these things work! Don't worry—My word is as sure as this beard!" Gragas let out and uproarious laughter to which the patrons and staff were none too surprised to hear thundering through the halls. "So, what will you two lovebirds be drinking tonight? Maybe something that'll warm you up for tonight's sensual activities?"

"Hot tea," Lee Sin answered with a pained voice from behind his hand.

Riven glanced up and briefly ordered, the warm color starting to return to her face involuntarily. "Same."

Gragas nodded with a grunt. "Ah, very well. I'll return in just a few minutes then. Get those stomachs of yours ready for food fit for kings!" With that he turned heel and strode back to one of the bar entrances laughing heartily all the way. Just before he stepped into the kitchens he flashed a signature smile and a thumb-up point to one of the patrons seated at the bar. He responded by raising his mug, chuckling, then slurping a generous swig.

Lee Sin peeked from his facepalm after the laughter had disappeared fully into the back rooms. Riven glanced up and traced Lee Sin's red ribbon with a tiny smile.

"I apologize," Lee Sin started, "He's a bit wild."

Riven giggled through an exhale and grinned a bit wider. "He's certainly interesting. I've only read his Institute report and statistics list, I didn't know he'd be so... robust."

"Did you figure him a drunkard and nuisance?" Lee Sin blatantly inquired.

"...Well yes," Riven admitted flatly, "But that doesn't appear to be the case. Not in the slightest!"

"Well, the Rift is more than just a battleground for many, it's also a source of entertainment. Some participants like to create a persona for themselves and it becomes signature to them among the audience. I feel that many people tend to forget about the masses that treat the League like a sport." Lee Sin consciously made sure his frown didn't stay apparent for long.

Riven nodded and hummed in understanding. Even she imagined a much more intense version of herself when on the Rift, there she left no room for anything other than refined focus and discipline. Audiences and fan followings had never much crossed her mind.

"And..." Lee Sin began in an exaggerated low voice, "To tell you the truth, I don't think Gragas is capable of becoming intoxicated. He can down more alcohol than you would actually believe and still remain himself afterward. The man is not of this world." Lee Sin scoffed and traced a design in the wood on the table reflectively. "Or maybe he's just eternally tipsy and we've never seen his sober self..."

Riven chuckled and looked over in time to spot the talented drinker himself walking towards them with a silver platter held high. Gragas stopped at the edge of the small table and retrieved the drinks as if he was serving royalty. The bottoms of the glasses touched down evenly on either side of the table without missing a beat.

"There we are. Now, the second most important part of the meal here, what can I get either of you to eat this fine night?"

Riven clenched her teeth and hurriedly scanned the menu before her. She'd been so caught up with chatting that she hadn't even bothered flipping through the list of things to order.

"I'll have what I usually get," Lee Sin stated firmly. Though it had been a while, the choice was easily received. Gragas hummed his approval and looked over to Riven.

"And for you- wait!"

Riven nearly jumped out of her seat at the sudden roaring command. A big, thick hand reached out in greeting which Riven traced all the way up the shoulder and back to the orange moustached expression that smiled so ardently.

"Where are my manners, I never even introduced myself after all this time! As you may have guessed already, I am Gragas and I own this warm little diner."

"Riven, and yes I've known about you. I read about your participation in the Institute of War in the logs they have filed there."

Gragas chuckled with his inflating ego. The barkeep was a surprisingly nearly unstoppable force on the Rift. "And so you have. To be honest with you Riven I've read and heard about you too, I always like to keep updated on those records and within these walls word of all goings-on within the Institute float around . But that would be a rude introduction if I simply called you by name. I had to meet you properly here before I dare to prepare a meal for you."

Riven accepted the kind introductions, they showed that even Gragas' business side was entirely amiable. Truthfully it made her feel a bit guilty. Normally she'd be much more talkative but the exhaustion of the day left her too tired to do so.

"Now that we're all good friends here, what would you like for dinner?"

Riven cursed herself and paused before thinking up a quick answer. Truth be told, she couldn't even think of what the first line said on the menu at that moment. "The same as Lee Sin!"

"Mmm, good choice, I'll get to work then. I'm going to cook it myself! My chefs are good but it wouldn't compare to being made by the master." Gragas turned and bounded off the way he had come with excitement.

Her desperate exchange over, Riven breathed a steady sigh and rested her face into her hands using her fingers to rub her troubled forehead.

"So what did I just order anyway?" Riven asked from behind her hands. After a moment of not having received a response from the blind monk she removed her hands to find Lee Sin staring off in deepened contemplation. "Hey. Heeey," she called out before bumping the table top in front of her enough to make a noise without disturbing the drinks.

Lee Sin shook himself from his thoughts and focused back on his companion. "I'm sorry. Hey- about those records, all registered champions with the Institute are in there, correct?"

Riven blinked. "Well... yeah... it's mandated."

Lee Sin nodded slowly. _"Could she be in there?"_

"Why?" she inquired, "And why do you look so hung up on this? I figured you knew."

Lee Sin rubbed his forehead and drew in a breath trying to shake the awkward presence Riven was getting from him. "Ah. It's nothing too important, really. Anyways, how are you feeling?"

The sore warrior took a moment to assess the pain in her head quickly coming to find that she wished she hadn't done so. The hammers kept knocking at the back of her skull—in fact they had never truly stopped.

"Ugh," sighed the exile, "Terrible as ever."

"I'm sorry, Riven," Lee Sin stated genuinely. "What's got you so hurt? Do you want to talk about it? Your opponent was Wukong the Monkey King, right?"

At the mere sound of the name her lip curled as if a bad taste had flooded her tongue. Her eyes dodged to the window and a hand was raised to coddle the back of her neck. It took her a moment to decide on what to say from behind her suddenly defensive wall, but Lee Sin awaited patiently.

"It was my summoners fault," she spat suddenly. The growing dusk in her tone nagged at Lee Sin's concern further. "If her stupid tactics hadn't drove me back into battle when I was hurt I would have ended up fine. I would have came back and drove the Monkey King into the ground. I would have-" Riven was staring angrily at Lee Sin now channeling her frustration and projecting it towards him. When she realized her actions Riven instantly deflated and apologized through a sigh.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled while resting her elbows on the table and her head in her hands. A few moments passed; Lee Sin sipped his tea quietly while Riven gathered herself.

"The truth it, I should have simply fought harder. I made too many stupid mistakes and it cost me my life—And my comfort I've come to find out."

Lee Sin lowered his cup and let a few silent moments pass. Idly he brushed his thumb against the warm glass and stared into the softly rippling tea.

"It is through defeat we gain the most," he offered matter-of-fact.

The woman across from him lowered her arms, sat back, and considered the words. Somehow when Lee Sin displayed his wisdom the effect felt twice as palpable than if it had come from someone else.

Riven was about to thank him for the words when a newly familiar voice shattered the tense air surrounding the table.

"Hope you two have been starving for a few hours, " roared Gragas' defined voice as he approached the table. In his hands he carried two platters filled to their lengths with steaming vittles layered with seasonings and flavors. Each plate was set before Riven and Lee Sin to tempt them with a wafting aroma that demanded the sense of smell in positive authority.

"Thank you, Gragas," Riven responded while silently wondering how she let the generous host come up on them without her noticing.

Lee Sin nodded a hummed thank you as well and took up his fork and knife.

"Guess I'll leave you to it. Flag me down if you need anything else, or just shout!"

Riven smiled Gragas away before turning to the plate before her. A glistening slab of lamb coupled with a generous dollop of mashed potatoes and dark gravy took up a third of the plate. The rest was made up of steamed carrots and green beans, a side of stuffing, all brought together by a large cornbread muffin in the middle. Analyzing the plate made Riven realize that she was indeed quite hungry. Not even the pounding in her head would stop her from enjoying the meal.

* * *

Lee Sin sat back and loosed a satisfied sigh, his fork clanking against his empty plate conclusively. He took a moment to relinquish his sight and focus on his thoughts which lately seemed to have just been going in circles. Too many different subjects and future goals had been mulled over and set; he had plenty more to do with Riven in the coming weeks just as they had done throughout the past several months, a mental note to pay Master Yi a visit once again had been made, and now there was a massive wrench thrown into the middle of all of it. A musically apt, blue haired wrench.

The monk stopped himself before he once again tried to make sense of who she was or what she was doing on the Rift, all it did was cause more confusion and raise more questions. He'd have to save the poking for information until later. For now, Lee Sin decided to devote his attention to Riven. She deserved it, especially after he had been so rudely absentminded before the meal.

Riven shifted in her seat, glanced to the window, then looked back to Lee Sin's medallion on his forehead cloth. "Are... are you looking at me, or..."

Absentminded once again. Lee Sin broke out into a soft chuckle to play it off. "Yes. I was. You look tired."

"Just what every girl wants to hear," Riven quipped before running a hand through her naturally messy white locks.

"For a girl like you it's fitting. It means you worked hard."

"Yeah, worked hard for nothing," she grumbled. The bridge of her index finger met her left eye, rubbing gently, and projecting her exhaustion.

Lee Sin's head cocked ever so slightly and a soft smile curled his lips. "I'm pretty sure we've gone over this before. Are you being overly hard on yourself again?"

"Maybe."

"Discipline is important, wanton self-criticism is entirely detrimental."

Riven sighed hard and dropped both of her hands onto one of Lee Sin's beside his plate. Her eyes drooped to a close and her voice came out pleading. "I know Lee, I know. I can't focus on those kinds of things right now. I can't focus on anything. All I hear, and feel, is pounding in my skull." Another annoyed groan accentuated the aforementioned discomfort.

Lee Sin nodded but remained still. Riven's hands were cold he noticed; strange to him considering he was shirtless and the barroom atmosphere hadn't bothered him.

"Well, are you ready to go then? Maybe it's time you got some proper rest. We can go over the battle tomorrow."

Riven retracted her hands and prepared to stand. "Yeah. That sounds good."

"Hmm."

Both Lee Sin and Riven rose from their chairs in synchronization and slid them back in neatly before making their way back to the more open passage between the tables and chairs. As they walked Lee Sin scoured the bar hoping to catch sight of Gragas for one final thank you and goodbye before leaving. As they neared the front of the tavern he found the hearty man delivering a mug to a purple robed figure seated at the bar who shared a laugh with the master barkeep.

Not wanting to interrupt, Lee Sin simply caught the hosts attention with a wave and a smile. Riven picked up on the cue and issued a thankful wave as well while her other hand prodded the revolving exit.

"Hey- hey you come back soon, alright? Both of you! Enjoy the rest of your night you two," Gragas teased with a laugh. Lee Sin confirmed his guess as to the identity of the patron when he turned and gave a short wave. The beady blue orbs of light lining the dark cloak were intimidating, no one knew what lay behind the cover. Lee Sin and most every other champion knew him simply as Jax, the Grandmaster at Arms.

The chilled air outside wasn't anything abnormal for the extremely expansive chasm the entire city was built within. In fact, Lee Sin found the cool atmosphere on his exposed skin refreshing. Riven and her sharp breath, however, didn't seem to agree.

Both exhausted and beaten warriors walked in silence up toward the first fork in the street—one path heading straight and the other branching left. Both smooth, cut stone walkways were lit with tall metal lamps giving off a soothing blue light from an inexhaustible flame at the top. The streets were mostly empty, not a single soul stood between them and their immediate destinations.

"Well," Lee Sin began, "Are you okay to make it home?"

Riven scoffed. "I can make my way home, yes. I'm not that weak."

Lee Sin couldn't help but smile. That was the fiery personality returning to his friend after an evening of it being absent. "You're not weak at all."

The monk inhaled the fresh air and stared straight down the street. He expected Riven to start off down the path but instead she clung to his side like a friendly tomcat.

Lee Sin cleared his throat before speaking. "However, it's going to be difficult for us to split ways if you're going to fall asleep on my shoulder here."

Riven's eyes shot open and she discerned just how much she was leaning into her solid support, and of course how much his body heat contrasted from the breezeless yet chilly air. Still, she hadn't the drive to feel embarrassed, instead she dropped her head back onto the shoulder with a groan when her neck muscles started to ache again.

"Alright. Take me home then. You've got to finish our little date anyway." The prospect of the word sent butterflies through her stomach but she quickly stemmed the feeling before it became apparent. Her tease wasn't supposed to so easily backfire. "Erm, do you remember where I'm staying at?"

"Sort of," Lee Sin offered while letting Riven's date quip play off as a joke, "I've only been in the area once before to meet you about half way." With that he started off in a steady pace with which Riven kept up without problem.

As they walked Lee Sin snaked his arms across Riven's upper back just as she had done the same to his to offer better support. Soon enough they came upon another turn on their left, the straightaway side being the bright lake guardrailed by a low stone wall.

"Down here, right? Following this should lead to the residential area."

Riven shook her head. "No, I'm on the outskirts. It's faster if you follow the lake around."

Lee Sin of course trusted the instruction to be true. In respect to road traffic it certainly was considering how most of the daily action took place further inside the city away from the actual Institute. The hour was late and the city folk reacted appropriately; most of them were in their beds, around the fire in their homes, or seeking refuge at their favorite tavern.

The duo walked mostly in silence uncaring of the time that passed. As they completed the bend around the perimeter of the lake, having only passed a few denizens along the way, the chasm's wall came into view with an assortment of apartments built into the jagged rock stacked three high, each tier set further back in.

Lee Sin prepared to advance toward the first set of stairs leading into the abodes but was surprised to find that Riven was steering him down the street to their left alongside the apartments. "Isn't your residence in there?"

"It used to be," Riven confessed, "But recently I've moved. Don't worry, it's not too much further."

While he'd never show it, Lee Sin was pleased to hear that their destination was close. The aching in his chest had flared back up along with his other more beaten areas of his body from the battle before, most notably his forearms. Still, he could only imagine what Riven was feeling with the way she'd been acting throughout the night.

"There, up in the rocks," Riven exclaimed and pointed up toward their right. A lone apartment with a different makeup of wood and shaped stone rested easily against the chasm wall. Even further down was the beginning to an exit—a road to the surface world of Runeterra. For Riven Lee Sin found it to be extremely convenient, so much that it made an ideal place even for himself. The inn he usually rents a room in whilst visiting the city was too deep in the crowded city.

Riven broke from Lee Sin's support and dug around in her pocket while taking the first step up a long stone staircase. Her one man entourage followed step trying not to wince with the added stress on his muscles it took to elevate his body. The phantom pains were really starting to sink in.

Much to his delight, the pair soon reached the top of the staircase after evening out twice on smaller, shortened walkways during the ascent. Lee Sin waited behind the woman and looked out towards the city as she worked the lock with a slender key. The city lights were astounding—all of the dancing blue flames gave off a radiant and unique atmosphere while the warm normal fires peeking through the countless buildings assured the viewer that beneath the exotic stone exterior, a warm and familiar place would be found.

The door squeaked gently as Riven pushed it open and stepped inside.

Lee Sin drew in a relaxed breath and followed her steps, closed the door behind him, and then locked the latch and handle. Riven had already disappeared down a hallway straight ahead and off to the right with her bag and weapon, after retrieving it from her company, leaving Lee Sin the luxury to fulfill his subconscious curiosity regarding her current home.

In one word, it was modest. The living room was furnished with a single couch, a low stone table in front of it, and a wooden stand at the arm opposite of the hallway. A tall bookshelf lined the wall beside that just before a doorway that led into a tiled room, presumably the kitchen. On his immediate right Lee Sin spotted a desk and unlit lamp with lots of papers scattered about except for a designated clear space in front of the desk chair.

Riven returned a few seconds later acquiring Lee Sin's attention.

"Is it too dark in here? I can never tell," Riven questioned as she made her way back to the door Lee Sin stood beside. On the wall she placed her fingers on a knob and turned to the right ever so slightly. The light in the ceiling grew a tad bit brighter from the effort. It was then Riven cursed herself with a sharp exhale and a pass over her eyes with her fingers. She recovered and faced Lee Sin with an awkward expression.

"I mean... I know you're blind... but..."

"The lighting is good," Lee Sin responded mysteriously. The look on Riven's face only grew his smile wider as he watched her writhe in curiosity.

And then she couldn't take it anymore. "So lightning does affect your... vision, right? How?"

Lee Sin exhaled sharply through his nose amused by Riven's interest. Rather than indulge her with an answer, the monk simply approached the couch and took a seat at the end with a resounding sigh. He let his head lean back against the cushion and his arms stretch wide across the comforting stuffed fabric.

"I understand now," Lee Sin spoke while staring at the dark crème colored ceiling. "You brought me all this way so you could corner me with your interrogations." He found it difficult to hold in the laugh that crept up his diaphragm. Without even looking, physically or otherwise, he could sense Riven's withheld frustration.

"...I'm going to go shower. Help yourself to anything in the kitchen," she offered while moving toward the hallway on Lee Sin's immediate left.

"But we just ate."

Riven stopped abruptly and reached over with clawed fingers as if threatening to strangle the genius on her sofa. "Drinks, water, tea—you know what I mean!"

Lee Sin beamed.

Riven sighed and continued on her path not letting her smile break out until she had entered the hallway.

Lee Sin sighed from his relaxed position and let his mind wander for a while. He thought back to the events of the rift from earlier—not of the blue haired woman, that was too much to consider right now, instead he stepped through his duel with Master Yi once more. He hadn't seen the swordsman in a while despite their friendship, most of his time went towards tutoring his apprentice, Wukong.

A faint sound of slipping paper piqued Lee Sin's trained ears snapping him from the daydream. He wasn't sure how much time had passed but Riven's shower was still running beyond the wall behind him. Above the gentle white noise of the water rushing through the plumbing he had noticed the almost inaudible sound of the parchment . Tracing its origin to the front door, Lee Sin spotted a white slip of paper laying on the hard wood flooring before it.

Lee Sin slowly rose from his seat, careful not to spike the aching in his core too much, and made his way over to the door. He quickly took up the paper and read the simple message written with exquisite handwriting aligned in the center.

_The Raven has come to brood._

_A tide of blood rages in his wake._

_Seek the light of the righteous, Exile,_

_else evanesce into darkness._

The monk reread the cryptic message a few times to try and gather a better understanding. Each line only raised more questions. Suddenly he cursed himself for being so oblivious and quickly unlocked and pulled the door open half way. Too much time had passed, there was no one in sight.

Lee Sin shut the door and locked it once again before realizing the running water had stopped. Riven needed to be alerted to this message.

Determined, the monk stepped down the hallway with long strides careful not to bend or otherwise mar the paper in his hand as if it's very condition mattered. The door to Riven's bedroom was cracked slightly, Lee Sin presumed she was inside. He brushed open the door with only the unsettling and enigmatic letter on his mind.

"Riven, you need-"

"Gyah!" Riven screeched. She flipped around at the sound of Lee Sin's voice covering her naked chest with her arms. Her eyes went wide with shock at the unexpected intrusion. "Why- Sure, Lee, come on in," she joked sarcastically while scrambling for words.

Lee Sin didn't skip a beat in his voice. "Right, look at this," he instructed as he came up to Riven and held the parchment before the both of them.

"Lee I'm still- Can it- ugh, alright, what is it?" Still a bit scatterbrained, Riven fumbled for the towel on her bed behind her and used it with one hand to cover herself. With the other she grasped the bottom of the paper creating a damp thumbprint and read the message, her eyes flicking to Lee Sin's close body a few times whilst doing so.

Riven finished looking it over with a disgusted utterance. She let the paper fall to the ground as she turned back to her bed and considered how she'd finished getting dressed while expressing her distaste. "I've had enough of these messages. They don't mean anything, it's all just some ploy to try and scare me off. Even here in my corner of this gloomy cave people won't let me have a home."

Lee Sin picked the note back up and stared at the words without exactly reading them. "You mean to say there are more like this? How long has this been going on? Riven, I do not think this is something to cast aside."

"Why not? They won't do anything about it if I don't submit to them anyway."

"Who?" Lee Sin pressed on, "And what do you mean by submit?"

Riven gave a curt exhale and looked back to Lee Sin. "It's Demacia. They know all about my exile from... my homeland, and they've been trying to get me to align with them for months. Recently they've pressed more and more and frankly I'm sick of it all. They can take their stupid notes and shove them right up Prince Jarvan's-"

"Riven, they know where you live, their spies surely track you, you're being targeted by one of the largest kingdoms in Valoran."

"Both of the largest kingdoms in Valoran," Riven growled. "Thanks for reminding me." Her gaze began melting into solemnity as she traced a pattern on her quilt from afar. Speaking her situation helped bring to light the severity of her strife.

Lee Sin took a steadying breath. The blind monk realized he was starting to dig too deep. Dancing around her banishment from Noxus could be just as hurtful as bringing it up straightforward.

"I apologize if my concern feels a bit invasive," Lee Sin admitted while rubbing his forehead to try and quell the tension. "I understand that you can handle yourself and your business just fine. However, being such a close friend to me as you are, I just can't help but worry about you with something like this."

Riven's muscles capitulated allowing her shoulders and lips to droop. She uttered a final sigh before sitting on the edge of her bed and letting her eyelids fall closed. "I know," she said weakly before turning to Lee Sin with a genuine countenance, "Lee, I truly value the fact that you do worry about me. Honestly, I do. I just..." Riven searched for the right words to explain her hardship, "I just try not to think about it all. I know it's irresponsible but at this point... I don't know what to do."

The final blow from her thoughts dealt, Riven exhaled into her hands and leaned into them using her elbows as support on her knees. The towel flipped forward accidentally to reveal a forbidden half view of the side of her breast.

Lee Sin stood still for a moment going over the sudden revelations. All this time and he hadn't known about Riven's troubles with Demacia or Noxus, he foolishly believed that her past had remained buried. Only tonight he discovered that, underneath her fiery exterior and go-getting personality, Riven was locked in a decisive battle with no one there to serve as support.

The monk released a long, calming breath and approached Riven slowly. He noticed her wide eyed glances from behind her fingers but tried not to make a point of it. Gently he sat beside her and pulled at his long hair braid that was wrapped around his neck so that it balanced along his shoulders rather than falling down along his chest.

Lee Sin's hand reached for the towel that somewhat shielded Riven and tugged at the edge to wrap it further backward to cover her once more. That hand then ended up softly resting on the exile's still damp back in unspoken sympathy.

"Your situation is difficult," Lee Sin stated, still unsure of all the details. His words flowed slowly as he took time to pronounce each with honesty. "It's not something you can't overcome, however. And don't think you're ever alone—I'm right here always."

Riven shifted the towel under her arms to better hold it, and to stall for words. No matter how much time she bought herself Riven could feel that it was going to be in vain—her throat quickly clenched up and her eyes misted. Far too long she'd admired the man currently consoling her, and to hear of his genuine support for her wellbeing was enough to spark more than a few emotions.

Not wanting the target of her affections to witness her vulnerable state, Riven suddenly turned and thrust herself into Lee Sin's chest wrapping her arms around him and burying her forehead in the crook of his neck.

Slightly caught off guard, Lee Sin warmly reciprocated the embrace and slowly caressed her back with his hands. The pair shared the comforting touch for a long moment. Rather than giving into her emotion, Riven managed to steady her breathing so that no tears were shed. Her voice came muffled from between herself and Lee Sin, "Thank you, Lee."

Lee Sin hummed his affirmation and allowed Riven to pull herself back to a sitting position. From there she casually rubbed her eyes to be sure they were dry before she would look at the monk. A small blush of passion had inadvertently bloomed on her cheeks as she realized her longing for the gentle caressing Lee Sin had given her exposed back—that she was more concerned about the monk witnessing.

The dismal matters they had left off on were much too depressing. Lee Sin decided to bring up something joyous to look forward to. "So," he began with a sprightly tone in his voice, "Will you be ready for some more practice and sparring tomorrow?"

Riven smiled, ran a hand through her hair, and looked sidelong over to Lee Sin. "The question is, will you be?" The new subject had already replaced much of the gloominess lingering about her countenance.

"Of course," he answered.

"Even after today's match? Don't you feel worn out?"

He couldn't deny the lingering aches in pains any more Riven could. "I do, I'm incredibly sore—but I won't let that stop me." Lee Sin's lips curled into a teasing grin. "Are you trying to find a way to skimp out on our practice?" With that he leaned in and bumped Riven's shoulder with his as a challenge.

Riven turned with a renewed twinkle in her eye. "Never would I do such a thing! In fact, just for that, tomorrow I'll be sure to be twice as hard on you."

"Really now?" Lee Sin joked with an exaggerated bump of the eyebrows. "That's very good. I've a surprise planned for you tomorrow, in that case."

Riven's curiosity was instantly piqued, she'd even forgotten about what had her so down. By now she'd turned to sit crosslegged on the bed facing Lee Sin, her towel still held tight against her chest.

"Mmhm. I was thinking we should stop by an visit an old friend of mine. I don't think you two have met before outside of the Rift. He has a dojo in the mountains nearby on the surface, it'd do us both a lot of good to spar with him.

Riven inwardly stemmed a wave of disappointment at the thought of a third party taking up their time together. She'd get to travel with Lee Sin after all. "Master Yi, right? The swordsman?"

"That's him."

"I've only seen him around the institute, I don't think we've ever held a conversation." Riven scratched the back of her head and looked at her knee. Again she made the mistake of mentally checking for her sore muscles and of course she found that they still throbbed painfully despite the hot shower helping to make it more manageable. "I hope I'll be ready to meet him then, honestly I do feel terrible after today's battle." The exile quickly added on to her statement to defend herself from a sly remark she figured Lee Sin would respond with. "I mean, if it was just you I'd be fine, you're not so difficult an opponent. However, meeting and sparring with a master..." Riven let her words hang as she donned a challenging smile and looked back up to Lee Sin.

"Well," Lee Sin said with exaggerated taken offense, "Now I'll have to embarrass you at the dojo."

Riven scoffed with a smile and traced her knee with a finger. Both she and Lee Sin let the silence linger for a little bit simply enjoying the lighter mood.

Lee Sin's voice was the first to grab the other's attention, "Hey. I just thought of it. Do you have any Kala lily oil?"

Riven looked up with a surprised expression that formed too quickly for her to hide. The extract Lee Sin referred to was a wondrous cure for sore muscles and aches, the only catch was that it had to be massaged into the body making it difficult to use alone. The implications sent Riven's imagination running loose. "Y-yeah, I think I have some."

Lee Sin sprung up from the bed and scanned the room with one hand on his hip and the other on his chin inquisitively. "Perfect. Where is it? It should make you feel much better in preparation for tomorrow."

Riven could feel her cheeks warming already. She inwardly scolded herself when she realized she was looking far too long at Lee Sin's muscular and exposed body. His toned physique casted intricate shadows among the creases of muscle thanks to the soft, dim light. "Oh. The armoire," she answered with a nod toward the large wooden closet standing several feet from the foot of the bed.

Lee Sin strode over and grabbed the knobs to the fancy dresser. To his surprise, a copious amount of clothing came tumbling outward when he opened both of the swinging doors. "Ah- whoops, I'll get it."

Riven's eyes went wide as she watched from her position on the bed. She was about to leap over to help but the monk had already scooped up most of the mess of cloth in one double armful.

Placing the clothes back where he found them, Lee Sin gently stuffed the wad of cloth back onto the second shelf in the dresser making sure to be quick so as to not identify what he was touching. Looking back down he noticed a few more bits that had fallen on the way up. He retrieved the cloth and rejoined them with the rest in just a couple handfuls until he came to the last item.

Lee Sin bumped his eyebrows in innocent surprise as he snatched up the end to what seemed like a small bunch of long, dark blue stripes of textile. "What happened to these shreds?" he questioned while holding the bunch out toward his friend.

The color instantly drained from Riven's face.

Lee Sin grabbed another end of the mess of cloth and held both of them out parallel in his fingertips. It wasn't until the dainty thin cloth drooped into a "V" shape before he realized what he was holding.

"Lee!" Riven shouted, closing her eyes and hunching forward hoping that the awkward scene would simply fade away. Never had she thought she'd be subjected to this particular form of chagrin. It all happened to quick.

The monk fumbled with the intimate wear and quickly jammed it back into the pile in the armoire. Lost in the awkwardness he slowly turned to Riven and offered a weak smile when she dared to look up from her cringing. "Right... the oil," Lee Sin said.

"Ugh," Riven sighed rubbing her face with her palms.

Lee Sin chuckled and quickly set to scouring the top shelf inside the closet. There was a variety of bottles and containers of all sorts of different products. Calmly he turned each bottle and glanced at the labels looking for the Kala lily oil.

Riven peeked up and watched silently becoming more and more intrigued at the fact that the blind monk was reading through the bottles. Quite frankly it didn't make any sense, and though Lee Sin had hinted at some form of vision many times before, she was never satisfied with the dodging answers.

After a few moments Lee Sin grabbed a bottle with an approving hum and turned back to the woman on the bed, closing the dresser doors behind him. He walked over to sit back in his spot all the while reading over the title of the bottle.

"Lee..." Riven began. The curious one already knew the answer she'd receive.

"Yes... Riv?" the monk answered playfully.

Riven gave him a raised eyebrow. "Riv?"

"You address me with half of my name," Lee Sin explained jokingly while popping the lid off of the bottle he held, "I figured I'd call you by half of yours."

The exile shook her head and controlled the smile widening her lips. "Why do they call you the blind monk when you can read letters and bottles?"

Riven received a tight lipped smile from the man before he responded. "On your stomach," he commanded, waving the tip of the bottle at her in a circular motion.

Riven would once again be forced into capitulation regarding her desire to uncover the mystery of the sightless seeing blind seer. With a defeated sigh she shuffled on her knees to face her pillows and pronounce her naked back to the monk. A small burst of bashfulness overtook her as she did so causing her to sheepishly pull back on the towel under her arms a bit more. The excited one looked back with a small blush before lying down.

Lee Sin shifted his position closer to the edge allowing Riven to rest with plenty room. He watched as she slowly found a comfortable position with her legs stretched toward the end of the bed and her arms crossed underneath the pillow. She lay looking backward with warm anticipation, half of her softened face buried in the pillow.

The monk rose and sat back down on one knee next to Riven's core. Wordlessly he brought the bottle over her back and poured a modest amount of the sweet smelling oil between the woman's shoulder blades. With the trace of the stringing liquid he made a couple passes around her shoulders and lower back before wetting his hands with it, capping the bottle, and then placing it on the nightstand nearby.

Riven shuddered when Lee Sin's warm hands contacted her exhausted body. He began by spreading the soothing extract all along her back, shoulders, and neck. The recipient of the caring massage let her eyes drift closed to focus on the contact from the one she so admired.

Lee Sin kept a steady, calming breath as he began working the oil into Riven's sore shoulders with his fingers. The soft exhalations of relief that she involuntarily released caught him a bit off guard at first with their potential double implication. That combined with the sight of her tanned, smooth body and outer portions of her breasts spilling out from underneath her chest tore at Lee Sin's calm composure. Still, he tried not to focus on the sensuality of the situation and instead on the goal of doing his closest friend a largely needed favor.

"Gentle... Lee," Riven managed to gasp in between Lee Sin rubbing deeply into her neck area and the brief moments of respite. Her commands were of course ignored for her own pleasure.

"I'm surprised to find your muscles this stiff. This is going to make you feel worlds better, I promise."

"Maybe so... ack! But it hurts... don't stop- ah!" Her words melted into an elongated moan pronouncing both apprehension and approval of the deep tissue massaging.

Lee Sin had silenced Riven's babbling by pressing his thumbs sharply into her neck.

"Right there- oh, don't stop! Lee-" Riven managed to squeak in between bated breaths.

The masseuse chuckled at the responses he elicited from the woman under his fingers. He figured that if he pointed out the severity of her tone and word choice she'd probably punch him in the jaw for the double entendre surrounding it all.

After another minute of forcing her neck muscles to loosen and relax, Lee Sin pulled away and relinquished the painfully pleasurable grip he had. Riven let out a long, uncensored sigh and lay with closed eyes breathing slightly faster to make up for all the long breaths she held during her endurance. As if to make up for the rough massage, Lee Sin began a series of long slow strokes across her upper back with his fingers sending a teasing and chilling sensation down the exile's vertebrae.

Gently he then began working his thumbs into the surface of Riven's body making sure to give each length the same attention from her outer shoulders all the way down to her lower back. Now much less painful, Riven remained in her state of elevated alleviation while giving into the sensation akin to a finger painter lovingly mixing dozens of colors into the canvas of her back.

The careful strokes across her overworked body soon relaxed the exile into deeper and deeper levels of calm. Thoughts of eliciting a "thank you" or other such genuine approval flashed through the tender one's mind here and there but nothing was actually conveyed. She simply couldn't—only the sound of her breathing and gentle cries could be uttered. The massage had her in a trance.

Soon enough the recipient had drifted into a blurred consciousness between the realm of the awake and that of dreams. Her mind effectively shut out all other stimuli besides the attention she was receiving and the sound of the rhythmic breath from the one giving it to her. Her breathing grew more and more rapid, against the pillow her cheeks flushed hot, and her legs began to squirm. The buildup of all the sensual attention poured over her body transformed relaxation into arousal. Finally she couldn't stand it any longer.

The exile gave into the hot passion her body had stoked. She flipped around onto her back and grasped for Lee Sin's exposed body which was just in reach. Riven pulled the culmination of her innermost desire on top of her sensitive figure and locked her lips with his. The touch sent shivers through her core that served as further fuel for the fire raging in her core.

In between passionate, audible kisses she nearly begged for her lusting to be fulfilled, "Stay with me, Lee. Please, stay with me tonight." Riven didn't even wait for a response—instead she continued the barrage of kisses.

Her exhalations melted into sultry moans encouraged by the excitement procured from Lee Sin's hands exploring her tender breasts and smooth belly. Her own hands clawed at Lee Sin's muscular back until they reached his waist where they found it easy to remove his layered clothing. Her own bottom wear effectively disappeared as the embrace became more and more heated.

Riven's rapid breathing, fed by the adrenaline of the moment she'd desired for so long, reached a long pause marked by a resolute gasp when her love's prodding between her legs finally concluded its teasing and slipped inside. The captive breath was released and refilled intermittently in quick succession as she felt herself stretching more and more and encompass the entirety of Lee Sin's pulsing arousal.

At long last she could give into the powerful emotions she held for the blind monk. Here at the pinnacle of physical affection there were no more barriers to hide behind. Riven wanted to cry out her declarations of love for the man in her arms, but she simply couldn't form words. Instead she brought her lips again to his stopping only to mewl lovingly after every few thrusts into her core.

The blazing love pronounced by her soft cries and moans mixed with the raw sensation building between her thighs made for a caustic mixture that threatened to explode any second. Riven pulled her lips away gasping and letting her head fall back into the pillow. Her fingers dug deeply into the powerful frame on top of her as the motions below increased in pace and intensity. Riven's vision blurred into swirling shades of light grays and whites behind her eyelids as a gradual fire erupted from her most sensitive focus all the way up her arching back. A conclusive moan evolved into a wild vocalization marking the beginning, long lasting length, and exhausting end of her gratifying apex.

All other senses were forgotten, Riven was left bathing in warm afterglow. Relieved of the contact below, she drifted off into a mellow slumber just after receiving some hint that Lee Sin was to sleep beside her.

* * *

As the sun rose on the surface, deep blow the grassy plains and rocky hills amidst the largest cavernous city in Valoran the inhabitants of the exotic city rose to attend to their day. City folk bustled and moved through the streets bringing the greatest sense of the new morning with them. Despite the direct absence of the sun above the large community still operated as if the warm rays had done the work in ushering in the new day.

Up above in the lone apartment at the edge of the surrounding chasm the sounds of the metropolis did not reach the slumbering swordswoman. Eventually she awoke on her own terms aided only by her own slow moving will to rise to consciousness.

Riven's eyes blinked open with more effort than it should have taken and focused on nothing in particular. A wide smile slowly appeared on her lips as she recalled the vivid images in her head surrounding the night's events.

Laying on her side, Riven reached out with one of her hands for Lee Sin. A spike of surprise returned a large portion of her consciousness when she found that she was alone amongst the sheets. It was then she noticed her other arm had fallen asleep in an awkward position underneath her side. Through the tickling onset of needle pokes on the appendage, she traced its length extending downward all the way to her hand which had slipped under her night shorts and rested warmly between her legs.

Slightly confused, the exile propped herself up with that elbow and used the leverage to fully rise to a sitting position. A brief chill nipped at her naked chest calling for the free arm to cover herself. Slowly she retrieved her other hand and stared at the glistening fingers wet with arousal. Riven sighed at the thin, drooping strings of passion connecting from finger to finger and finally pieced together that the experience she recounted had been but a dream—a deeply colored dream with lewd external influence. A feeling of disappointment overtook the woman briefly, but then it evoked a confusingly layered sense of disappointment for feeling disappointed.

Riven shook the conflicting feelings away and awkwardly stood up feeling rather uncomfortable due to her soaked nightwear. She looked around the room with a curled lip still fighting through a case of morning grogginess. Keeping her soiled hand from touching anything, she hurriedly tiptoed over to her dresser and flung open the door. Her dry hand reached in and fumbled for some new clothing that'd go under her normal wear for the day when her eyes caught sight of the thin, dark blue lingerie Lee Sin had mistaken the night before. Deep inside she conjured a fantasy about wearing them just in case the moment called for such attire during her trip with Lee Sin she'd be embarking on today. Soon enough she shooed the daydream away with a huff and quickly collected her usual outfit for the day: a brown cloak, white top, and matching waistcoat.

The early riser snatched up all of the clothing in her arm and was about to leave the room when she stopped suddenly at the closed door. Just where was Lee Sin anyway? Cautiously she worked the door open with her good hand and peered down the hall. She heard no sound out of place but did spot a filled sock resting on the arm of her couch and poking out into sight. Riven shifted her armful of attire to cover her chest and stepped into the hall. A couple silent tiptoes later and she shouldered her way into the bathroom to clean herself up and prepare for the day after a quick morning shower.


End file.
